Stand-Up Gets the Big Screen Treatment

In a fresh take on what cinema spaces can offer, PVR INOX has teamed up with DeadAnt to launch DeadAnt’s Night Out, a live stand-up comedy series that brings some of India’s top comics directly to the big screen — but not on film. They’ll be live, on stage, inside a movie theatre.

Kicking off April 2nd at PVR ICON in Mumbai’s Phoenix Palladium Mall, the series features a rotating cast of celebrated performers: Aditi Mittal opens the season, followed by Anuvab Pal (April 16), Mandar Bhide (April 23), and Varun Thakur (April 30). Each performance will take place in the unique setting of a cinema, blending the immediacy of live comedy with the comfort and acoustics of a premium theatre space.

For PVR INOX, this marks a continued investment in “alternate content”—a category that has grown to include live sports, concerts, gaming, and now, stand-up. The move comes as live comedy finds deeper resonance with younger audiences, particularly Gen Z and millennials, who increasingly seek out shared, offline entertainment experiences that feel intimate but elevated.

“This initiative is about pushing the boundaries of what a night out at the movies can mean,” said Kamal Gianchandani, Chief Business Planning & Strategy at PVR INOX. “Stand-up comedy has found a devoted following in India, and we see our cinemas as more than just film venues — they’re evolving into premium entertainment spaces. Our partnership with DeadAnt brings a new kind of laughter to the big screen.”

Ravina Rawal, Founder & CEO of DeadAnt, sees the partnership as a way to rethink how comedy is consumed: “We’re always exploring new formats for how people can experience stand-up. With DeadAnt’s Night Out, we’re pairing the electricity of live performance with the comfort and scale of a cinema. This isn’t just about watching comedy — it’s about feeling it, with a crowd, in an unexpectedly cinematic way.”

For audiences, the format promises a mashup of entertainment: curated lineups, plush seating, high-quality sound, and no drink minimums or obstructed views — just laughter, projected large and performed live.

With limited seating and a growing appetite for live, in-person events, tickets are expected to move quickly. If the experiment takes off, it could point to a broader shift in how entertainment venues adapt to changing tastes — blending traditional formats with newer forms of live performance in unexpected spaces.

This isn’t just a night at the movies. It’s a night out — with punchlines.

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