PVR Vkaao plans to take on-demand theatre services to more cities

PVR Vkaao, a theatre-on-demand platform launched by PVR Pictures recently, has plans to expand into 50 more cities by bringing 100 more theatres on board by the second half of this year.

A first-of-its-kind mobile app in this space launched in January 2017, Vkaao is presently available in 54 cities, and in more than 130 theatres.

PVR Pictures CEO Kamal Gianchandani said, “Vkaao is a pioneering theatre-on-demand initiative by PVR, which gives viewers a complete control of their movie watching experience at cinema halls. It allows them to select their preferred movie, along with the location, date, and time of the screening at any theatre of their choice. Vkaao’s USP lies in its technology to create a social, crowd-sourced movie watching experience and to add value for all key stakeholders.”

Vkaao is a new concept in India. “Theatre-on-demand didn’t exist in India before, and globally, these platforms are being used for niche content only. But PVR Vkaao showcases all genres and types of movies — be it mainstream or otherwise — which isn’t yet available anywhere else. This differentiates us from other platforms available globally in the category,” he added.

Once created, Vkaao screenings can be shared on social media platforms, inviting other like-minded individuals to sign up for the event. The selected movie will be played as long as the minimum booking number is confirmed for a particular screening.

Currently, only the PVR chain of cinemas are on Vkaao. “We want to tie up with every chain possible and every single screen possible, and we are in active discussions with cinemas on the same. In the initial stages, it has been configured for the PVR chain only,” he said.

When asked about prices, he said it is exactly the same as a theatre, which a person is willing to book. There have been close to one lakh unique visitors on the platform, and Vkaao has already successfully conducted more than 100 screenings across 20 cities in India.

Gianchandani said, “We will continue to expand our library and add more regional and international content. We will also look to expand product features and include food and beverage offerings within Vkaao.”