What Munjya's box office success teaches about pricing strategy

The horror comedy "Munjya," produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik and starring Abhay Verma, Sharvari, and Mona Singh, has exceeded expectations at the Indian box office, heading towards a remarkable Rs 3 crore on its opening day.

This is a significant achievement considering the most optimistic pre-release predictions hovered around Rs 1.75 crore. The film has attracted a strong walk-in audience, and early feedback from cinema-goers has been overwhelmingly positive, suggesting continued success over the weekend.

The surprising opening day numbers have sparked industry discussions about what factors contributed to Munjya's impressive start. The answer lies in the film's strategic marketing and pricing approach. The producers created significant awareness with an intriguing teaser and an honest trailer, effectively tapping into the loyal horror comedy audience in India.

Dinesh Vijan and Pen Marudhar made a bold move with their pricing strategy, capping ticket prices at Rs 200 at some of the most premium locations in India. The average ticket price in multiplex chains was kept around Rs 145, making it highly affordable for college students, who are part of the film's target demographic, reported Pinkvilla.

The pricing strategy struck a balance—neither too low like National Cinema Day nor too high to alienate potential viewers. This balance has paid off, as evident from the strong opening-day performance.

Instead of relying on gimmicks like BOGO (Buy One Get One) offers and corporate bookings, the producers focused on a sensible pricing approach to draw audiences to the cinema on the opening day.

By maintaining weekday pricing on Friday and gradually increasing prices over the weekend, the film benefitted from bigger weekend jumps and steady weekday holds. This dynamic pricing approach, with a slight increase on Saturday, caters to the less price-sensitive weekend audience without alienating the Friday crowd.