"It was a historic weekend… It proves once again that India loves going to the movies to see great films… It shows that movies and cinemas are back in a big, big way," gushed MAI President Kamal Gianchandani.
"Mainstream story-telling executed in the right way has resulted in the box office records being shattered. Such a massive achievement is the result of an incredible film-making team, with the cast and crew coming together to create a truly special movie-going experience," said a pleased PGI President Shibashish Sarkar.
A MAI official, preferring anonymity, said that besides the box-office tickets being grabbed, the food and beverages section also recorded sales of over Rs 250-crore during the weekend.
"The cash registers were jingling all the way, from the bookings to the F&B to the parking and others… Something that is truly unprecedented," said the official, who owns a multiplex in a Mumbai mall.
The cascading effect went down to the malls with people spending time – and money – in shopping, meals or bites before and after the day shows, in an atmosphere of camaraderie and excitement.
The situation was similar even in multiplexes where one or more of the four big releases were being screened, giving a reason for all to smile broadly, and some patrons even making mental bookings for the next day’s show of the film they had not yet watched.
"After almost four years, I went with my family for 'OMG-2' as 'Gadar-2' was houseful in our multiplex in Thane on Saturday evening. Later, we have booked for 'Gadar-2' for the next weekend and are eagerly looking forward to it," said a shipper, Suresh Bhaskaran, currently on a vacation in Thane.
