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Industry estimates recommend that meals and drinks contribute 25%-35% of multiplex revenues. Importantly, margins on popcorn are considerably larger than these on tickets
News18
When a movie crosses the Rs 500-crore mark, headlines often deal with star energy, opening weekend numbers and record-breaking milestones. But the true financial story usually lies exterior the ticket window. In late 2025, the runaway success of ‘Dhurandhar’, which has since crossed Rs 1,000 crore domestically and Rs 1,300 crore worldwide, did greater than revive footfalls. It triggered a ripple impact throughout multiplex meals counters, distribution networks and even agricultural markets.
By December 31, 2025, the movie had earned Rs 844 crore, with PVR INOX alone accounting for Rs 328 crore of that complete. As the movie’s theatrical run stretched on, the affect turned seen in a extremely worthwhile space — popcorn.
The Rs 500-Crore Question: Where Does The Money Go?
A blockbuster’s gross field workplace assortment could be deceptive. The headline quantity doesn’t mirror what exhibitors really hold. Box workplace income is shared between producers, distributors and theatre homeowners. In the preliminary weeks of launch, producers and distributors usually take a bigger share of ticket gross sales, leaving multiplex chains with thinner margins on admissions.
This is why meals and beverage (F&B) gross sales matter. For multiplex operators, concessions are sometimes the true revenue engine. During the December quarter of FY26, PVR INOX reported that its common F&B spend per head rose to Rs 146, up from Rs 140 in the identical quarter a 12 months earlier. F&B revenues climbed 14% to Rs 593.8 crore, in contrast with Rs 520.9 crore in Q3 FY25.
Industry estimates recommend that meals and drinks contribute between 25% and 35% of multiplex revenues. More importantly, margins on gadgets like popcorn are considerably larger than these on tickets. When a movie sustains excessive footfalls for weeks, the cumulative affect on concession gross sales could be substantial.
In that sense, ‘Dhurandhar’ was not only a field workplace success; it was a margin booster.
Why Popcorn Is The Real Star Of Cinema Profits
Popcorn occupies a singular place in cinema economics. It is cheap to supply relative to its retail value, straightforward to retailer and fast to organize. For multiplexes, it is among the highest-margin merchandise offered at concession counters.
As footfalls surged throughout ‘Dhurandhar’s prolonged theatrical run, multiplex operators noticed a corresponding rise in per-head spends. During the theatrical run of the movie, the Spend Per Head (SPH) on meals and drinks at PVR INOX multiplexes surged to just about Rs 190, continuously exceeding Rs 200 throughout weekend night exhibits.
The psychology of blockbuster viewing performs a job right here. Big-ticket movies usually draw households and teams, who usually tend to buy combo offers, giant tubs of popcorn and drinks.
For Shreya, a 24-year-old social media strategist, going to a film theatre isn’t just about watching a movie, it’s about the entire vibe. “The second I stroll in and odor popcorn, it feels just like the (film) expertise has began. Holding that enormous tub of popcorn and a chilly drink simply makes me really feel completely happy about the entire expertise. If I’m watching a film on the theatres, I’m paying for the total expertise, huge display, loud sound, and vibe. Honestly, it retains me hooked in the course of the sluggish scenes…”
She also stressed about the money factor. “We all are trying to be financially smart. But once I have decided to spend on a theatre ticket, I am already signing up for the experience. So, I would rather go all in than sit there craving popcorn the whole time. It is more like a ritual for my family and me at this point. I might save a coffee run for the next day, but I am not skipping the popcorn and Pepsi combo on a movie night”.
The Indian popcorn market itself displays this rising demand. According to business estimates from Virtue Market Research, the Indian popcorn market was valued at $366.6 million in 2024 and is projected to develop at a compound annual progress price (CAGR) of 12.57%, reaching almost $662.7 million by 2030. Cinema-driven consumption stays a big contributor to this progress, at the same time as packaged popcorn expands in retail channels.
During peak blockbuster durations, multiplex chains working throughout 3,000 to three,500 energetic screens nationwide can see sharp spikes in F&B volumes. A sustained theatrical run can translate into a whole lot of tonnes of extra popcorn demand over only a few weeks.
A History Of The Rise Of Popcorn In Cinemas
In ‘Popped Culture: A Social History of Popcorn in America’, historian Andrew F. Smith challenges the favored delusion that popcorn was served on the “first Thanksgiving.” Instead, he traces its arrival in New England to the early 19th century, likely carried back by American sailors returning from South America.
By the 1840s, popcorn had evolved from a novelty snack into a recreational pastime, aided by the invention of “wire-on-the-fire” poppers and different early popping units. Over the next a long time, distributors promoting freshly popped corn turned a standard sight at festivals, circuses and alongside bustling metropolis streets. Commercial manufacturers quickly emerged — Cracker Jack discovered a everlasting place in baseball stadiums — and popcorn progressively started its affiliation with the rising film exhibition enterprise.
That business, revitalised by the arrival of sound movies or “talkies,” expanded rapidly in the early 20th century. By 1930, an estimated 90 million Americans were attending the movies each week, Smith notes.
Initially, many cinema owners resisted selling popcorn inside theatres, viewing it as messy and beneath the grandeur of movie palaces. But attitudes shifted during the Great Depression. At a time when economic hardship gripped the country, popcorn’s affordability became its greatest strength.
“At five or 10 cents a bag, popcorn was an affordable luxury for most Americans,” Smith writes, and its place in cinemas was secured.
How A Film’s Success Translates To Supply Chains?
When a movie like ‘Dhurandhar’ dominates the field workplace for a number of weekends, the surge in footfalls doesn’t cease at ticket counters. It cascades by means of provide chains.
Multiplex chains usually supply popcorn kernels in bulk from processors and distributors who, in flip, procure from agricultural markets. A sudden rise in theatre attendance prompts short-term procurement surges, as operators replenish shares to satisfy elevated demand.
Trade sources point out that in main blockbuster runs, procurement cycles can tighten, main distributors to speed up orders. Even a modest enhance in common F&B spend per head, when multiplied by hundreds of thousands of admissions, can create a big quantity uptick.
For instance, if a tentpole launch drives a further 10 million admissions nationwide over its run, and even half of these viewers buy popcorn, the incremental demand turns into materials. The affect is magnified when a number of blockbusters launch in a brief window, sustaining excessive theatre occupancy over months reasonably than weeks.
Do Movies Influence Acreage?
Popcorn maize shouldn’t be similar to common discipline maize. It requires particular hybrid seeds that produce kernels able to increasing underneath warmth. India grows popcorn maize in choose belts, together with elements of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana.
Traders in producing areas say that sustained demand progress from multiplex chains and packaged snack manufacturers has progressively strengthened the popcorn maize phase. While a single movie’s success might not instantly alter sowing selections, repeated blockbuster seasons can affect ahead contracts and procurement planning.
In years when cinema footfalls rebound strongly, notably after pandemic-era disruptions, merchants report larger curiosity in popcorn maize contracts. Acreage shifts are typically incremental reasonably than dramatic, however the sign from the consumption facet issues.
Farmers reply extra to sustained demand traits than to one-off spikes. However, if multiplex attendance stays strong throughout a number of tentpole releases in a 12 months, it may reinforce confidence amongst aggregators and processors to safe larger volumes prematurely.
In that sense, the “Dhurandhar impact” is less about one film changing crop patterns overnight and more about how consistent blockbuster performance strengthens the demand outlook for popcorn maize over time.
The Multiplier Effect Of Indian Cinema
The economic footprint of a blockbuster extends beyond theatres and farms. High footfalls benefit mall operators, quick-service restaurants and retail outlets located within cinema complexes. Weekend spikes often translate into broader consumption across food courts and shopping areas.
Employment across distribution, logistics, food processing and retail also sees indirect benefits during peak theatrical periods. From warehouse handlers managing kernel supplies to concession staff working extended shifts, the multiplier effect is tangible.
For multiplex chains still navigating post-pandemic recovery, tentpole films provide stability. The industry relies heavily on a handful of major releases each year to anchor revenues. Without multiple big-ticket hits, occupancy rates can remain volatile.
The success of ‘Dhurandhar’, followed by the announcement of its sequel slated for release during Eid on March 19, underscores how franchises can sustain momentum. When audiences return in large numbers, they do not just buy tickets; they spend on the experience.
February 25, 2026, 11:23 IST
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