Multiplex goers are in for a premium cinematic experience starting July 4, when Dolby Laboratories will formally launch its first ever cinema screen in India in Pune at City Pride Multiplex, starting with the screening of ‘Jurassic World – Rebirth’ which releases on Friday.
Aside from Pune, Dolby will also be opening in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Trichy, Kochi, and Ulikkal by the end of the year.
As a company invested in immersive entertainment experiences, Dolby has bet its new 310-seater enterprise on its audio visual technologies.
“The entire screen is 108 nits of brightness. That is again something that has never been experienced on a normal screen in India or in the world. Dolby Vision gives you a larger color gamut, more contrast, detail. Every pixel carries more information,” said Sameer Seth, Director, Marketing-India at Dolby Labs, referring to the screen’s 4K laser projection system.
Pricing at play
Living upto Seth’s claims, viewers attending the premier noticed the difference in experience at once. Dr. Anuja Gaurimandan, who had come for the premier all the way from Mumbai with her friend, said there was a “noticeable difference” between regular cinemas and the Dolby experience.
However, she also added, “Opting for the Dolby experience will also depend on the kind of movie I’m watching. If it’s an action, thriller, horror, fantasy, I’m definitely choosing Dolby. But in the case of a rom-com, I’m not sure if I want to pay for the premium.”
Pushkaraj Chaphalkar, Partner, City Pride Multiplexes confirmed, “Pricing will definitely be at a premium compared to the normal stage because experience is also more premium and also the investment, a lot of investment as well. You can say almost twice that of a normal screen. But I don’t think pricing is an issue because we already have other experiences for which people pay higher.”
Cinema in trouble?
Independent movie critic Raja Sen said, “I think movie theatres right now are in trouble because the experience has become diluted. So, I feel this [Dolby screen] is a step in that direction. We’ve seen other formats in Indian theatres, we’ve seen lasers, we’ve seen IMAX but I think this is a step further.”
To Sen’s point, the Pitch Advertising Report of 2024 showed that cinema grew at a very low base of 10 per cent as against a projected growth of 35 per cent due to few major releases.
Still, Dolby’s initial days will be good revenue wise, said Ajimon Francis, Managing Director at Brand Finance India.
“Post pandemic Bollywood movies are not doing that well, but Dolby experience will be good for Hollywood/Marvel type of movies,” said Francis adding that the high entertainment tax imposed by the government will also be an issue.
Nonetheless, the company remains optimistic with a strong content pipeline with a mix of three to four ‘good releases’, said officials.
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Published on July 3, 2025
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