There was a time when Chennaiites would drive out to the city’s iconic beachside drive-in theatre in ECR, Prarthana Drive-In, to watch a movie under the stars. They’d enjoy the film in their own private space with homemade refreshments or food from the canteen. Though the problem of distance and limited showtimes existed, it was, for many, cinema blended with nostalgia.
Fast forward to today, the city’s cinema culture has transformed with multiplexes and realistic visual experiences (IMAX, 3D, 4DX). Alongside these, a more cosy trend has entered the industry: Private Movie Lounges. These are intimate, sound-proof mini theatres, tucked in commercial buildings or alongside cafes, where the screen is entirely yours for a few hours, along with snacks redeemable from initial deposits, and access to various OTT platforms.
“I work as a CGI artist for many television commercials and I often sit in studios with excellent audio and visual equipment; their quality on par with that of the big screen. It got me thinking about the whole concept of a private cinema experience,” says Richard Sequeira, founder of Episodes Cafe in Anna Nagar East. Launched in 2023, Episodes Cafe was one of the early spaces in the city to popularise the idea of private movie lounges. “We offer a mini theatre on a three-hour slot basis and the pricing is based on the number of people, generally starting at `1,499 for four people,” he adds. Several such lounges in the city started as niche alternatives to cinema theatres, but people use them as places for celebrating special occasions.
The Gen Zs have experienced various types of birthday celebrations growing up. Typically, when they were in primary school, birthday parties were held in the comfort of their living room, decorated by their elder siblings and parents with a few balloons and hand-cut chart decorations. Friends from school, private tuition classes, the neighbourhood, and cousins were always in attendance. There were samosas and packaged drinks served in disposable tableware, and the biggest piece of cake was served to the birthday kid’s best friend. As they entered their teenage years, party halls took over — buffets served, the guestlists ran longer, dancefloors were set up with a DJ, and the culture of customised return gifts entered the birthday scene. Now, as they enter adulthood, they opt for new-age celebrations that are quieter and intimate, but with a film.
“The fact that it’s a private movie lounge that is unique compared to other celebration venues is what makes people opt for this concept,” says Helsi Riya Infant, a recent visitor to Episodes Cafe. She also adds that there are only a few options for celebration when places are struck down due to various constraints like affordability, privacy, and versatility. “I found it on Google while scrolling for cool hangout places. Honestly, it’s (private movie lounges) a whole other vibe — super comfy, private, and perfect to chill with your gang or bae. You can celebrate any occasion without random people around, which makes it feel more special and personal,” says Soundara Pandian M, who visited two private theatres: The Big Screen, Velachery, and The Dark Room, Gopalapuram.
One of the largest chains in this business is The Binge Town, which was set up first in Bengaluru. In June 2025, they came to Chennai’s Perungudi. Chetan Agrawal, one of the founders, says, “We call ourselves ‘Private Theatre Celebration Venues.’ The idea came to us towards the end of the pandemic when OTT was on the rise. We started off as a completely private theatre service, but within weeks, customers started asking for basic decorations inside the screen for celebrating their special occasions.” What began with a single room in Bengaluru has now resulted in 58 private theatre spaces spread across 16 branches, including those in six metro cities — Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Noida. Chetan says that over 90% of bookings at their venues are for celebrations.
The business owners recognise the difference in the cost of celebrations at general venues and at private lounges. “Privacy and cost are the two main reasons why people are choosing our place,” says Richard. Concurring, Chetan says, “A grand celebration like one at The Binge Town would cost upwards of `15,000 if done at home or a hotel. At Rajaji Nagar, Bengaluru, it hardly costs `4,000 for decoration, entertainment, food, cake, photoshoot, and more.”
These lounges largely attract a younger crowd, typically between the ages of 18 and 40. Be it couples planning low-key anniversaries, friends hosting a going-away party, or even children planning a birthday surprise for grandparents or parents, the idea of having an entire theatre to themselves resonates deeply. “The repeat rate is a bit lower than what we would have liked it to be,” admits Chetan. “On average, 8 to 10% of our customers are repeat customers,” he says.
While other players have leaned into the celebration market, Richard takes a slightly different approach, “While others have chosen celebration as the core. We have always concentrated on cinematic experience as the major selling point.”
Though the concept of running private theatres as a business is new, the competition has been rising day by day.
As lifestyles shift and attention spans shrink, experiences that blend comfort, novelty, and control are winning hearts. In that quiet dark room where the world is on pause, Chennaiites are finding new ways to celebrate – not louder, just better.