Single screen theatres in a fix post Pushpa 2’s success

The Hindi version of the Telugu action film alone has crossed the ₹500 crore mark, but single-screen cinema owners in north India are concerned that the box office bounty will peter out into another dry spell after a couple of weeks. Small-town theatres in the region don’t have much to bank on after Pushpa 2, with the next mass-market commercial entertainer several months away. The big fear is that sustaining business will go back to being a challenge.

“The success of Pushpa has been great news for every cinema in north India that has been struggling this year. Other than Stree 2, nothing has managed decent numbers for us, so this is like oxygen to the dying man,” Bihar-based independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. “However, after this, there is no guaranteed hit for us and the ride could go back to being dry and jumpy.”

 

Chauhan is now placing bets on Salman Khan-starrerSikandar, which is scheduled for release on the Eid weekend in March. He added that there is a heavy appetite among small-town audiences for content at the right price, as evident in the success of films like Gadar 2, which also crossed the ₹500 crore mark last year. Advance bookings for the Hindi version of Pushpa 2 were stronger in single screens than in multiplexes.

“There is no debate on whether single screens can still sustain business,” Chauhan said. “People come when the right film arrives. The issue is there is a disconnect with content in single-screen theatres, just as there is a disconnect with pricing in multiplexes.”

He was referring to the fact that Bollywood rarely comes up with content that resonates with small-town audiences anymore.

‘Worst’ year for business

Pranav Garg, managing director at Maya Palace, a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar, said 2024 was one of the worst years for the film business, particularly for small-town theatres. Not only are oft-repeated themes such as nationalism no longer working as before, but the common man is also waiting to watch a film where he can relate to the hero, a phenomenon that Pushpa 2 managed.

“We’re seeing bulk bookings for the film and all shows have been running houseful despite the cold, the movie’s three-hour-plus length, examinations and the wedding season. The only concern is when such a film would come next,” Garg said.

 

Many livelihoods are dependent on businesses like theirs, Garg said. Families hope to have a good time and get value for money when they plan outings to watch films, he added.

“Also, a big alternative has emerged in the form of OTT,” he emphasised.

Theatre owners and trade experts said only a few studios and filmmakers in Bollywood are making real mass-market commercial entertainers, similar to Pushpa 2, which could appeal to the lowest common denominator. Salman Khan remains one of the few actors who can draw in audiences in such markets. Ashutosh Agrawal, owner of Star World Cinemas in Uttar Pradesh, said although Pushpa 2 is not originally a Hindi movie, the film would continue its run for the next four to five weeks. However, the going seems tough after that.

“We shall simply go back to surviving mode. Hindi films are not even managing ₹20 crore on day one nowadays, when Pushpa 2 made ₹72 crore,” Chauhan said.