 "Pathaan")
As Bollywood films find it difficult to attract audiences to the theatres, the single-screen cinemas located in the Hindi-speaking heartland of the country are looking particularly hopeless and may face closure, Mint reported.
The lack of successful films has left these single-screen cinemas without many options, and there has been no exciting release for them since Pathaan in January.
According to people who keep a watch on the industry, many single-screen theatres in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha are considering shutting down their businesses temporarily, and some are even planning to close their theatres permanently, the report said.
Single-screen cinemas are facing an acute shortage of capital and are unable to fund the purchase of essential items like 2K projectors which are necessary to showcase Hollywood films. These financial challenges limit their prospects of running their business successfully.
These theatres primarily operate in tier-3 and tier-4 towns and are among the lowest-performing properties in the Hindi region, the Mint report said.
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So far, in 2023, Pathaan is the only film that has tasted success in revenue. The Shah Rukh Khan-starrer film collected over Rs 540 crore at the box office.
By withholding the release of several films, the film industry lost the opportunity to cash in the lucrative summer season in April and May, a time of summer vacations in several schools and colleges.
The films released during this time could not do well at the box office. The releases included films like Selfiee, Shehzada, and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Their failure to attract audiences has added to the industry's challenges.
Director of Priti Cinema in Maharashtra's Parbani talked about the challenges faced by theatre owners; he was quoted in the report as saying, "Not many films are releasing, and those that are, haven't worked. Barring Pathaan no other film has given us reason to continue with business."
