Mass Entertainment Crisis Grips India's Single-Screen Theatres
While multiplexes in metropolitan cities celebrate successful runs of premium-format films, hundreds of single-screen theatres across India are facing an unprecedented crisis. The year 2025 has witnessed a severe drought of mass-market entertainers, leaving traditional cinemas struggling with 20-30% lower earnings compared to the previous year.
Urban-Skewed Content Dominates Box Office
The Indian box office this year has been heavily tilted toward urban audiences and premium formats, creating a significant divide in the exhibition sector. Major releases including F1: The Movie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and even the domestic production Saiyaara primarily attracted metropolitan crowds.
F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, generated impressive collections of ₹102.22 crore, largely driven by premium format screenings in IMAX theatres. Similarly, Yash Raj Films' Saiyaara crossed the ₹337 crore mark, but its audience remained predominantly urban, consisting mainly of college students and young metropolitan viewers.
The only exception to this trend has been the period drama Chhaava, released in February, which emerged as the sole genuine pan-India blockbuster with collections reaching ₹600 crore. Another notable performer was Mahavatar Narsimha, which earned ₹182 crore and provided some relief to struggling exhibitors.
Operational Challenges and Delayed Releases
The content drought has been exacerbated by several highly anticipated films pushing their releases to 2026. Yash Raj Films' Spy Universe entry Alpha, featuring Alia Bhatt, has been moved from Christmas 2025 to April next year. Prabhas' The Raja Saab has also been postponed to 2026 after speculation about a 2025 release.
Independent film distributor and exhibitor Akshaye Rathi highlighted the core issue: "Some films like Chhaava and Mahavatar Narsimha helped us survive the year, but the challenge has been one of content that appeals to the grassroots arriving in theatres on a consistent basis."
The situation becomes particularly challenging for single-screen theatres when compared to the exceptional performance of previous years. 2023 delivered massive hits including Pathaan (₹543.05 crore), Gadar 2 (₹525.45 crore), Jawan (₹643.87 crore), and Animal (₹556.36 crore). Even 2024 saw successful mass-market blockbusters like Stree 2 (₹627.02 crore) and the Hindi dub of Pushpa 2 - The Rule (₹830.10 crore).
Arijit Dutta, owner of Priya Cinema in Kolkata, explained the operational nightmare: "Multiplexes can still get away with fewer seats and more shows distributed across multiple films per day. We are struggling to fill auditoriums with 700-800 seats per film, and that is a disaster for us."
Hope on the Horizon for 2026
Industry stakeholders are now looking toward early 2026 with cautious optimism. The action drama Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh and scheduled for early December release, is expected to provide some temporary relief. However, the real hope lies in Border 2, scheduled for January release, which exhibitors believe could trigger a much-needed revival for mass-market cinema.
Ashutosh Agarwal, owner of Star World Cinemas in Uttar Pradesh, noted some positive developments: "Big films such as War 2 and Son of Sardaar 2 that we thought would cross the ₹300-400 crore mark this year, turned out to be real disappointments. Plus, delays in releases have been challenging. That said, a few small films that we never even considered to have potential have done well for us."
The share of multiplexes in pan-India box office collections varies significantly based on the film's appeal. For urban, multiplex-skewed films, multiplexes can contribute as much as 80% of total collections. For films that resonate equally with small-town audiences, this share typically drops to 40-50%, highlighting the crucial role single-screen theatres play in the overall health of the Indian film industry.
