PVR, the country’s largest multiplex operator, will open 40 new screens in financial year 2021-22 (FY22), as the movie exhibition business slowly returns to normalcy after a difficult FY21. The move also comes as Hindi film producers line up big releases between April and December, as pent-up demand for fresh content grows. PVR has also raised Rs 1,100 crore in two rounds in FY21, some of which is expected to be deployed in the new screen additions next year. “The number of new screen launches will certainly go up in FY22. One reason for this being that we had a number of projects in various stages of development before the nationwide lockdown began in March 2020. Around 10 new screens have been launched, since theatres reopened in November. 40 new screens will come up in the next financial year," Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, joint managing director, PVR, said.