Rumours have been rife that BIG Cinemas is up for sale. Mirror has it that Reliance MediaWorks (RMW), which controls the theatre chain, is in advanced talks with PVR and Inox to bring one of the other multiplexes on board as a 'majority partner'. Recently, Carnival Group from Tamil Nadu, a Malaysian Group, Navis, and the Chennai-based Satyam Group have also joined the list of contenders for the merger.

A source close to the development said, “Exhibition is not the core business of RMW which is why the wish to merge it with a company whose core competence is exhibition. The company will remain a 'minority partner' but will focus more on infrastructure and telecom, reaping the benefits of the merger in the long run."

When contacted, Daljeet S Singh, RMW spokesperson, said, “There are no plans to sell the multiplex business but we are considering various options of value creation by unlocking value of our non core assets, on the lines of a recently concluded deal whereby the company merged its film and media business with Prime Focus.“

The company which is part of the Anil Ambani group is the third largest player in cinema screen business with 280 movie screens across India. PVR is the largest player with more than 444 screens, while Inox is at No. 2 with over 316 screens.