Top 5 Drive-in Movie Theatres In India To Enjoy Open Air Cinema Experience

For car owners, this might be a safer alternative to watching a movie in a packed cinema hall

Reliance’s Jio World Drive in Mumbai, India’s largest rooftop drive-in theatre , follows a rising trend in the country. Drive-in cinema dates back to 1920s America, when people watched silent movies from cars parked bumper-to-bumper in outdoor spaces. It’s a novel concept in India that owes its revival, at least in part, to the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a list of all the drive-in theatres that currently exist in India:

Mumbai: Maison PVR drive-in theatre, Bandra Kurla Complex 

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Reliance’s Jio World Drive has opened a new rooftop drive-in theatre in Mumbai. It’s the country’s largest drive-in cinema, with a capacity of 290 cars, spread over a 17.5-acre facility with shopping complexes and upscale restaurants. The theatre has a 10-metre-tall, 24m-wide screen for you to watch the movie, and it costs up to Rs 2,000 for a single ticket for an SUV. Currently, this drive-in theatre hosts two shows per day, in the evening at 7pm and at night at 11:30 pm.

Bhopal: Hotel Lake View Ashok, Shyamala Hills

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This drive-in cinema was inaugurated in early 2021, and recently broadcasted the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan. The theatre has a massive 30-foot-tall wall for a projector screen and can accommodate up to 80 cars and 50 two-wheelers at a time. You can also get food delivered to your car at this theatre. 

Mumbai and other cities: Sunset Cinema Club drive-in cinemas

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This drive-in theatre can seemingly accommodate around 20-30 cars at a time, and also serves food and beverages. For upcoming screenings, you can follow their events on their website and Facebook page. Sunset Cinema Club (SCC) also has drive-in theatres in Gurgaon (map), Ahmedabad (map) and Chandigarh (map).

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Chennai: Prarthana Beach, Injambakkam

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The Prarthana beach drive-in theatre lets you watch a movie right next to the sea! It only hosts viewings in the evening and at night (2 shows per day). The wide concrete screen has a 4500 sq ft area, and each car gets its own raised platform from which to watch the movie. If you don’t have a car, the cinema also has a rooftop gallery with a snack counter and seats. 

Bangalore: Timbre theatre, Godrej Royale Woods

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This open-air theatre in Bengaluru occasionally hosts drive-in movie screenings, too. It has enough space for about 17 cars, with covid precautions in place to ensure the safety of all movie-goers. 

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Are drive-in theatres still relevant in the era of Netflix and chill? The answer lies in how the coronavirus pandemic has been changing our lives and attitudes towards health and community. To some people, watching a movie with loved ones from the safety of your car is more appealing than watching it in a hall while touching elbows with a stranger. It could be one of the reasons why new drive-in movie theatres have been cropping up in big cities across India. Either way, this new automotive activity isn’t just safe for the pandemic, it’s a form of entertainment in its own right.