The company shares that it has set up a center of excellence and a dedicated team of over a dozen IT professionals working on multiple AI-driven initiatives
The growth of AI and its transformative impact on customer experience is no longer a secret. Movie theaters, which are battling growing competition and higher operating costs with rapidly declining audiences, need to rely on technology and personalized marketing to drive revenue and remain competitive.
To address the challenge of retaining its cinema-loving audience and providing them with a quality experience, PVR INOX is working on a range of AI-driven initiatives to attract viewers to cinema halls and enhance their ticketing and movie-booking processes.
Last week, the company launched Movie Jockey (MJ), an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot that offers personalized movie recommendations, seamless bookings, and key details about new releases. Supporting five languages—Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu—the chatbot provides tailored suggestions and important info, such as wheelchair-accessible screenings and subtitle availability, based on user preferences and location. This initiative aims to simplify the customer experience, add personalization, and enhance the digital experience for moviegoers.
From a security standpoint, the company assures that the platform is secure, as it primarily collects the user’s mobile number, behavior patterns, and engagement history. This data is gathered through platforms like Meet, WhatsApp, and, eventually, a bot integrated within the app and on the web. “We store this information securely in the backend to build a user history, but we do not collect anything beyond the mobile number. Additionally, as part of our compliance with data protection regulations, we collect basic details from users—such as their work email ID and mobile number—when booking tickets. However, we do not store sensitive data like payment information. Payments are processed through trusted third-party partners, and we ensure that this data remains with them, not us,” says Jitender Verma, Chief Information Officer, PVR INOX.
The step in the right direction
For India’s largest movie theater chain, PVR, the decision to integrate AI into its operations—both internally and externally—comes at a time when cinema chains are struggling to retain their audiences. With OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar gaining immense popularity—especially after the COVID-19 pandemic—and big-screen TVs becoming more affordable for home use, audiences are increasingly opting for streaming over cinema.
“This is the first step. Our key focus is to enhance the guest experience. We are designing cinemas where the lobbies are more oriented toward social engagement. These spaces will feature AR/VR experiences, gaming zones, and open lobbies that include restaurants, creating a vibrant hub for entertainment. The idea is to offer such diverse and engaging experiences that visiting a movie becomes a delightful bonus rather than the sole purpose of the visit. Guests can come to socialize, explore interactive activities, dine, or game, making the cinema a multifaceted destination,” Verma adds.
The company shares that it has set up a center of excellence and a dedicated team of over a dozen IT professionals working on multiple AI-driven initiatives to enhance customer experience and drive new revenue streams. Globally, many theater chains have been leveraging AI extensively to use customer data to recommend movies that would interest them and also introduce dynamic ticket pricing to strengthen ticket sales. It will be interesting to see how far Indian cinema chains can leverage AI to drive traction. It is worth mentioning that PVR INOX plans to shut down 70 non-performing screens in FY25, according to its latest annual report.