The multi-crore entertainment multiplex industry has now set its eyes on small towns. Going by the revenue collection figures, 65 per cent of the total box office collections in the country come from non-metropolitan and tier II and III cities. As in metros, in smaller towns too it is the retail boom that’s mostly driving the multiplex story. Mall developers all over the country are wooing multiplex developers to occupy the top floors as anchor tenants.

Analysing the trend, entertainment pandits reveal that India’s multiplex bandwagon is fast going beyond the metros to redefine entertainment in B and C class towns. In the first phase the multiplex boom saw the emergence of such centres of entertainment in metros. But now this growth is spreading to tier II and III cities like Ludhiana, Lucknow, Moradabad, Indore, Nashik, Aurangabad, Kanpur and Amritsar.

In a young city like Chandigarh too as many as three mall-cum-multiplex complexes are scheduled to be come operational this year. "The great Indian multiplex saga is not just about watching films in a different ambiance; rather, it is about a change in the kind of films we watch. What started as an essentially urban phenomenon has now moved to smaller towns and more and more such cities are now housing the multiplexes that offer benefits like flexible show timings," said Manpreet Singh Chadha, director of the Chadha Group.

The industry yardstick in this case is well defined. Metro or non metro, if a town has a population of more than 10 lakh (1 million), the multiplex owners are more than willing to provide a place to enjoy world class entertainment.

With an increase in incomes the standard of living is also rising in the smaller cities. People are looking for entertainment options and multiplexes offer the best option.

About 38 cities in India would qualify for that, given that there is little or no means of entertainment in tier II and tier III cities, there is a huge potential for multiplexes.

The viewers are being promised ergonomically designed luxurious seats that are wider and have more leg-room than the present industry standards. In comparison to the oil-soaked burgers, and soggy popcorns, which are a regular feature at the ‘old style’ cinema halls, the multiplexes offer fresh burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, potato chips, with a variety of soft drinks and hot beverages served with utmost cleanliness.

Going by the current trend after some years non metros will clearly be the drivers for film exhibition companies, feel foreign fund managers, who own and keep a track of multiplex stocks.

However, skeptics are concerned about the wide gap between the supply and demand.

Taking a cue from the real estate business in metros where the depleting number of genuine buyers is giving sleepless nights to the developers, they feel the multiplex bubble too may burst soon due to the high cost factor involved.