Amit Sharma, Managing Director

The cinema exhibition business in India is at an interesting juncture. The luxurious cinema experience with premium multiplex chains has been promising for quite a while now. But alas, their radar is confined to the elite class. Remember, we are talking about an opportunity as huge as the disparity of screen strength in India (less than 10000), the world’s second largest population, and the U.S.(40,000 screens). Tapping into this huge opportunity by democratizing the luxurious cinema experience is Miraj Cinemas – one of India’s leading exhibition networks. Entertaining since 2012, Miraj, which belongs to Miraj Group– a Rs.5,000 crore conglomerate that has produced content-rich movies like Madaari, today has established 110 screens, including 40 multiplexes across 14 states.

Making it Accessible
The industryis not pure play entertainment anymore. It’s a consortium of several industries like Real Estate, F&B, and bleeding-edge technology. Miraj stands tall as an ideal testament to this transformation over the years, while democratizing the elite

cinema experience through everything from ultra-luxurious lobbies, state-of-the-art digital video walls, self-ordering kiosks in the food lounge, and reclining chairs & disabled-friendly infrastructure to the perfect blend of cutting-edge sound & display technologies.

"We have set benchmarks in consistency in quality, guest-centric cinema experience, and affordable pricing"

“We have set benchmarks in consistency in quality, guest-centric cinema experience, and affordable pricing. Mid-range pricing is indeed our niche. The deep sense of commitment & passion towards taking the multiplex experience to audience across the socioeconomic strata is what pushes us to move forward,” asserts Amit Sharma, Managing Director, Miraj Cinemas, who has played a pivotal role in Miraj achieving great heights in such a short span of time.

The Tech-Backed Strategy
Amit’s strategy was simple and elegant. Miraj penetrated into places where the big players could not reach. For instance, the cities like Balaghat & Nandurbar, where they did not have a theatre in 50 kilometer radius. The personalized services, excellent hospitality, opulent ambience, and customization in terms of gastronomic fare to suit the local taste buds & preferences have significantly contributed to the brand’s growth, while technology paved the way.

Interestingly, its 100th screen also witnessed the launch of Miraj

Maximum, a Premium Large Format (PLF) theatre at the heart of Gurugram. Miraj Maximum boasts of an 86 feet wide screen, 60 L RGB laser, and immersive Atmos linear sound system, making it the largest movie screen in Delhi NCR region. It’s not surprising that the company has brought home a fair share of industry recognition in such a short span of time. Miraj has recently expanded the scope of its deal with Cinionic, wherein it will install Barco RGB laser projectors in 60 screens across 20 Multiplexes.

Huge Plans on the Cards
According to the reports, more than 3.3 billion movie tickets are sold in India annually, which makes us the most cinema-going population in the world and a robust market. Miraj’s Rs.200 crore worth of expansion strategy is multipronged & well devised to match this market, and is ready for meticulous execution. By pursuing its proven strategy, the company plans to reach 200+ screens within the next 15 months. The geographical focus will be on various cities across the states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and North-Eastern states, among others. Lucidly, Miraj is making its presence felt in the national multiplex segment. “We also have plans to continue producing content-rich movies and create a perfect balance of Hindi, English and regional movies. Currently, we have pinned-down one concept – the film titled ‘By Pass Road’, which will feature Neil Nitin Mukesh in the lead role,” concludes Amit.