Despite the rise of multiplexes and streaming platforms, single-screen cinemas in India are experiencing a massive revival after the release of blockbuster hit movie, Pathaan. The film, starring Shah Rukh Khan, has been running for weeks and still attracts an enthusiastic crowd at Delite Cinema on the edge of Old Delhi and Liberty Cinema in Karol Bagh.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, cinema owners faced a significant drop in business due to the lack of good films. However, Pathaan has reignited the passion of moviegoers, resulting in housefull shows for nine days after its release on January 25. According to Rediff Movies, Rajan Gupta, the owner of Liberty Cinema, believes that Pathaan’s success shows that mass films are what the audience wants.
“We are sitting on the margins, and time will tell if we bounce back to profitability. But what Pathaan has done is shown that mass films are what’s really required,” Gupta said. “Even in multiplexes, the business of Pathaan is far more than that of all the classy films put together.”
At Delite Cinema in Old Delhi and Liberty Cinema in Karol Bagh, the movie is still attracting viewers. According to the owner of Liberty Cinema, Rajan Gupta, after the Covid shock to cinemas, there was a sense of returning to normal. However, the lack of good films led to a drastic drop in business and a period of self-questioning.
“After Pathaan, it’s obvious that people were not coming to cinemas because the films were not up to the mark,” Gupta said. For nine days after the film’s release on January 25, Liberty ran housefull shows.
Reportedly, Raj Kumar Mehrotra, owner of Delite Cinema, also noted a rise in business due to the popularity of Pathaan. Mehrotra said that 2019 was his best year with 13-14 films crossing Rs 100 crore box-office collections, and each gave him great business. The year 2022 also began promisingly with movies like The Kashmir Files and Sooryavanshi pulling big crowds. However, a string of flops in the last six months soured things, but Pathaan helped to bounce back. “Within three weeks, we had collections of Rs 1.10 crore, which is extraordinary,” Mehrotra said.
As the cinema industry continues to face the challenge of dwindling footfalls in the age of over-the-top platforms and multiplexes, single-screen theatres in Delhi are experiencing a revival, thanks to the success of the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Pathaan.’ According to cinema owners, the film’s success has shown that mass films are what the audience wants.
The Delite Cinema in Old Delhi and Liberty Cinema in Karol Bagh are two such single screens that have been attracting enthusiastic crowds for Pathaan, even in its fourth week. After a period of self-questioning, the lack of good films in the pandemic era meant a drastic drop in business for these cinemas. But, ‘Pathaan’ has brought the masses back to theatres, giving cinema owners hope for the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the cinema industry in India, with many single-screen theatres struggling to stay afloat. However, the recent success of the movie Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan has given some hope to single-screen theatre owners.
Before the pandemic, there were around 6,500 single screens in India, but around 20-25% of these have not reopened since the outbreak. In Delhi, only four single-screen cinemas are currently running, and around 10-11 have closed down in the past decade.
Single-screen cinema owners have been struggling to compete with multiplexes and OTT platforms. However, Pathaan’s success has shown that there is still a demand for mass films that can only be experienced in a theatre.
“Pricing is a USP for single screens,” says Raj Kumar Mehrotra, owner of Delite Cinema. “Only single screens can fill the gap between what the masses afford and want and what the multiplex can provide.” At Delite, ticket prices range from Rs 85 to Rs 210.
Despite the success of Pathaan, Nitin Datar, president of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India, says that one hit film is not enough to revive the fortunes of single screens. “We need around 40 superhit films in a year to do good business and survive,” he says.
Reportedly, Nitin Datar also noticed that single-screen theatres make very little money, with average seat occupancy as low as 8-10%. “The big films that are released hardly pay anything to the single screens, unlike multiplexes, which get 50% of the collections,” he says. “Around 200 single screens shut shop annually.”
While the future of single-screen theatres remains uncertain, the success of Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Pathaan’ has given some hope to cinema owners that there is still a place for mass films in India’s changing entertainment landscape. King Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ has collected over 519.80 crore nett in Hindi and 1042 crore worldwide gross which is a great victory for the nation.
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