Scripting New Paradigms

By 2047, the Indian economy is expected to be driven particularly by the creative economy. What is also expected to revolutionise is the theatrical experience

- AJAY BIJLI

WORLD CINEMA CELEBRATED its 100 years in 1995. Two years later, we introduced the country’s first multiplex, PVR Saket, sparking the cinema revolution in India. By 2047, the cinema industry would have undergone another transformation, revolutionising how we watch movies, once again.

By 2047, India’s GDP is expected to cross $30 trillion, and reports suggest 50% of the economy is expected to be driven by the services sector, particularly the creative economy including cinema, content, and various forms of “phygital” entertainment.

Our changing behaviours and the rise in technology will inf luence the theatrical experience. In my view, this is what a moviegoing experience in 2047 could be:

Cinema will be around forever. Cinema exhibition is an industry that has passed the test of time. The moving picture, as it was called, was invented in 1895—for more than 100 years, cinema has survived, evolved, and remained in the face of advancing technology, cyclical business trends, and changing consumer habits. If I can say one thing with certainty, it is that in 2047, when India as a country is thriving and is at its peak as a global powerhouse, cinemas will still be standing.