Post-pandemic, the footfalls of Indian films have seen a steep decline. A section of the movie lovers and audience have turned selective and are watching a majority of the films on digital platforms. The multiplex culture has dominated the urban regions. Over the years, hundreds of multiplexes are launched in towns and semi-urban regions. The survival of single screens has become tough in these conditions. A survey said that the total number of single screens in the country came down from 25000 to 6000 from 1990 to 2025. This makes it clear that the existence of single screens is quite tough in the coming years.

S Niranjan Reddy, a Rajya Sabha MP from AP and a well-known advocate has spoken in the Parliament house regarding the same today.

“India’s cinema culture has been facing an unprecedented crisis. The research shows that India has fewer than 6000 single screens as compared to 25000 theatres in the 1990s. In May 2024, the crisis worsened after 450 single screens in Telangana were shut down due to extremely low footfalls. There are several reasons for this: Multiplex expansion, High production and distribution costs, Rising ticket prices, Pandemic driven shift to OTTs. This is also because of high ticket prices, 18 percent GST, platform fees and exorbitant F&B rates. Even the multiplexes are struggling and they posted losses. There should be GST relief for single screens, renovational support, concessional loans and swift single window theatre clearances. I urge the government to look into it” told the speech of Niranjan Reddy.

The government has to take the issue seriously before the culture of single screen theatres and its celebration vanishes away completely.