Cinemas add late-night screenings as festive rush fills Ramayana shows

Cinemas across Mumbai, Pune, and Ahmedabad are running post-midnight screenings for the mythological film Ramayana due to heavy crowds during the holiday season. The movie hit theaters on Thursday, November 5, right before Diwali. Ticket sales were initially lower because people were busy with festive shopping and household work. Now that the holidays are fully underway, large crowds are filling cinema halls, causing capacity shortages at many locations.

Theater Schedules

To manage the massive rush, theater owners have added many late-night time slots. For Tuesday, November 10, 3D screenings are set for 12:35 am at Movietime Cubic Mall, 1:15 am and 2:10 am at MovieMax Sion, 12:40 am at Cinepolis Lake Shore Thane, and 12:50 am and 2:05 am at Maxus Borivali, alongside a 1:10 am show at PVR Chakala. Maxus Bhayander stands out with three 3D slots at 12:50 am, 2:05 am, and 4:50 am, while MovieMax Kanjurmarg has a 12:20 am show and Cinepolis Bhandup has one at 12:45 am. Thane theaters like MovieMax Eternity Mall, MovieMax Wonder Mall, MovieMax Kalyan, and MovieMax Mira Road have also scheduled early morning slots.

Format Options

Viewers can also book 2D and 4DX formats during these unusual hours. INOX Malad has a 2D screening at 1:30 am, Maxus Borivali at 3:05 am, Maxus Bhayander at 1:20 am, and MovieMax Kanjurmarg at 1:20 am. INOX Raghuleela in Kandivali has a 1:10 am slot, and PVR Lido has a 1:55 am slot. For 4DX fans, Cinepolis Lake Shore Thane has arranged a show at 12:10 am. Meanwhile, Pune theaters like Cinepolis Aundh, MovieMax Amanora Town Centre, and MovieMax Gold are running shows past midnight. Ahmedabad has also added late slots at Connplex Prahladnagar, Connplex Gandhinagar, PVR Satyamev Emporio, Cineprex Hanspura, PVR Acropolis, PVR Arved Transcube, Cineprime Nikol, and The Cinestar Miniplex. However, despite huge demand, not a single IMAX screening has been added between midnight and six in the morning anywhere in the country.

Context

Big festival periods like Diwali are traditionally the busiest times for the Indian film industry, often leading theaters to break normal scheduling rules. When major blockbusters create intense public demand, cinema operators frequently extend operating hours deep into the night to maximize ticket sales. This strategy helps manage massive foot traffic when regular daytime and evening shows run completely sold out.