“We Want LIVE ON STAGE To Back Emerging And Established Artists”: Nayana Bijli, Lead – Distribution & Licensing, PVR INOX

As Lead – Distribution and Licensing at PVR INOX Limited, Ms. Nayana Bijli oversees the acquisition, marketing, and distribution of diverse international and local content while leading key initiatives to expand the company's audience reach.

In this interview with Loudest.in, bijli shares how PVR INOX is reimagining cinemas as multi-format entertainment destinations through its new LIVE ON STAGE initiative, alternate programming, and immersive live experiences beyond traditional movie exhibition.

Here are edited excerpts:

Why is PVR INOX betting on live cultural experiences at a time when cinemas are still largely associated with movies?

So, I would say that our focus is still very much on movies. That remains our mainstay. We're very optimistic about the footfalls we expect over the summer because there are a lot of good films coming out. We have a healthy release slate ahead. So, alternate programming is simply a different way to engage with customers and transform the role of cinemas beyond traditional movie exhibition.

That said, it's not intended to replace movie exhibition. Movies will continue to be our primary focus. This is really about transforming theatres into multi-format entertainment destinations and expanding the different ways consumers can engage with the brand.

This approach has come from keeping our ears to the ground and understanding what Indian consumers are looking for. Concert attendance is growing rapidly in India, and sports has always been a significant part of our culture. So, alternate programming simply adds another dimension to the customer experience when they visit theatres.

We've also seen in the past that alternate content has performed well. For example, live sports screenings, concert live streams, and other special event screenings have all delivered strong results in theatres. It's about tapping into different cultural moments for customers while keeping our core business,movies,at the centre of everything we do.

What makes a LIVE ON STAGE event fundamentally different from attending a concert, theatre show, or film screening?

So, Live on Stage is the first of its kind because it's using cinema spaces in a way that hasn't been done before. It's also much more intimate, as we have audiences of around 200 to 300 people. Whether it's music, storytelling, comedy, or other community-led programmes, it gives artists a chance to engage with audiences in a much more personal and immersive way.

That's typically not the kind of experience you would expect when you come to a cinema. At the same time, we've retained all the usual hospitality elements, including food and beverages, in-seat service, and the overall cinema experience. So, it's really about using the cinema space differently. Audiences will get to enjoy more intimate performances than they would in a typical concert setting.

Going forward, the goal is also to leverage the cinema screen as part of these performances, making the experience even more immersive. It's about transforming the cinema into a multi-format entertainment venue that can host concerts and a wide range of live performances.

With live music witnessing unprecedented growth in India, how does LIVE ON STAGE plan to create new opportunities for artists and music-led communities?

So, I think we will essentially be a venue partner for artists, and we want this to be a space for both emerging and established talent. We have cinema screens across India, and we really want to leverage that reach. For example, if we have a cinema in a smaller city, it can become a great performance space for local artists who have strong demand or a loyal fan base in that market.

We want to make the most of our nationwide cinema network. We also want to leverage our marketing capabilities, including our social media presence and the in-cinema promotional opportunities we can offer. And, once again, the intimate setting creates a unique experience for both established and emerging artists, allowing them to engage with audiences in a way that feels much more personal and up close.

That's the proposition we're hoping to offer artists,a platform that combines nationwide reach, strong marketing support, and an intimate performance environment.

Why was it important for LIVE ON STAGE to launch a Pride Month edition, and what message does that send about the platform’s larger vision?

So, we've actually done a few live shows before. For example, we hosted a Qawalli event in February, and we also organised a poetry session in May. We've held several events over time, including Pride film festivals, which we've been hosting for a while.

When we brought Rani on board,who is, of course, a fantastic artist with a strong following,we felt that Pride would be the perfect occasion for all of us to come together. We've hosted live shows in the past, but this time, all the different pieces came together naturally, making it the right moment.

We were particularly excited to do one for Pride. At the same time, the earlier events we've hosted, whether it was the Kabali event or the poetry session, demonstrate that we're open to a wide variety of live performance formats.

We also want Live on Stage to be a platform that welcomes artists at different stages of their careers. Whether they're emerging or established, the idea is to create a space where diverse performers and different kinds of live experiences can thrive. That's the vision behind the initiative, and it's the message we want to communicate as well.

How does the partnership with Rani KoHEnur move beyond representation to create tangible opportunities for the LGBTQIA+ community?

So, I feel like, firstly, the platform is very large, and this particular show was something we wanted to host to highlight and celebrate Pride Month. Because she has such a strong following, we wanted to bring everyone together and do it in a creative and meaningful way.

That's why we felt Live on Stage would be the ideal platform for this collaboration. It really complements the spirit of Pride because it's a live performance, and it's also part of a new format that we're experimenting with. We thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring those elements together.

Of course, it also helps that she has a strong fan following. We wanted her audience to experience this new format as well and discover a different kind of live entertainment experience that we're creating.

I think everything came together really well for this event, and I'm very excited. It starts in a couple of hours, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.

Can cinema spaces emerge as a meaningful alternative venue network for independent and emerging musicians looking to reach audiences across cities?

I think that's really the idea. We want to educate both customers and artists that cinemas can be used in this way as well. At the same time, that doesn't take away from our continued investment in movies.

Movies will always remain at the heart of what we do. That's where we'll continue to invest,whether it's the best screen technology, the best seating, or the best food and beverage experience for moviegoers.

But alongside that, we also want to showcase that cinemas are beautiful destinations and experiential spaces that can be used in more ways than one. They have the potential to host a variety of entertainment experiences beyond films.

So yes, we do want to communicate that idea to artists and talent as well,that these spaces are available to them and can serve as unique venues for live performances and audience engagement.

Do you see LIVE ON STAGE evolving into a scalable national platform that could reshape how Indians consume live entertainment, and what kinds of artists, formats, and experiences can audiences expect from the initiative going forward?

So, I think we've already done a lot of alternate programming in the past, and we're going to continue building on that. We've hosted sports screenings and live-streamed concerts, and those formats have delivered great results for us. We want to continue investing in those experiences while also expanding Live on Stage.

As I mentioned, we're open to a wide range of formats, including acoustic performances, comedy shows, storytelling, poetry readings, and other community-led programmes. That's the kind of calendar we're looking to build over the coming months, while always keeping movies at the core of what we do.

We've also seen how experiences like live-streamed concerts have grown significantly in popularity. So, we'll continue to pay close attention to what audiences are responding to, keep our ears to the ground, and use those insights to shape and expand our programming going forward.