Days after superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan prompt constructing extra theatres and providing cheaper ticket charges to the viewers, new age exhibitor Sushil Chaudhary says the Indian theatrical ecosystem might be revived by specializing in making cinemas extra “accessible and affordable,” like what he does together with his cellular digital film theatre firm, PictureTime. At the continuing WAVES 2025, Chaudhary was a part of the panel dialogue ‘Decline in the Theatrical Industry and Sparse Cinema Distribution’, the place he mirrored on the necessity to mount extra cinemas and how he runs a mannequin of organising inflatable theatres in remote regions, the place folks haven’t any entry to motion pictures.
WAVES 2025: Exhibitor Sushil Chaudhary responds to Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan’s call for cheaper cinemas; speaks about Pathaan, Gadar 2, and Jawan’s success in remote regions
“I was happy to hear what Shah Rukh said regarding the need for more cinemas and cheaper tickets. Cinema is all about affordability, accessibility, and entertainment. After roti, kapda, makaan, cinema is the basic need. When we build our cinema, the focus is on keeping the capital cost under RS 1 crore and operational cost under RS 2 lakhs,” Chaudhary, founder & CEO of Picturetime, mentioned.
Chaudhary revealed how he innovatively screened Kabir Khan’s 83 in Ladakh through the pandemic, drawing audiences regardless of 50% occupancy limits. Similarly, in Bommidi, a small city in Tamil Nadu, he arrange a display showcasing Vikram’s Veera Dheera Sooran, which now boasts over 56% occupancy, highlighting the enduring attraction of cinema.
“Movies like Pathaan, Gadar 2 and Jawan did very well on our screens in remote regions. Especially Gadar 2, which wasn’t promoted that much, but we had more than Rs 5 lakh collection every week from a 140-seater screen. The audience is willing to come. Like in Telangana’s Asifabad, which didn’t have a cinema hall for over three decades, we installed one during SS Rajamouli’s RRR, and today the average occupancy there is 30 percent. As Shah Rukh said, we need cheaper cinemas so that people can access our films. Disruption can happen then,” he added.
During the panel dialogue, which was hosted by actor-filmmaker Vivek Vaswani, Chaudhary additionally highlighted the necessity for “clever programming” and answered why exhibitors typically display previous movies or are keen to showcase a re-release film.
“The reason cinema hall owners like us screen old films is that the current distribution system is dated. We are forced to run one movie under multiple conditions, even if the film is not attracting the audience. So, clever programming is an answer. We re-release old films to optimise revenue. In interiors, I have seen that viewers watch a film as many as 40 times. Are we catering to them?
“Between 80s and 90s, we had 18,000 cinema screens and 21,000 have been operating licenses, however then there was a decline. Filmmakers additionally want to tackle how to keep away from piracy, as a result of yearly we lose 3 billion {dollars} due to piracy. The large points stay accessibility, affordability and outreach,” he added.
Also Read: WAVES 2025: Ektaa R Kapoor talks about the balance of culture and universal appeal in Indian content: “The more rooted you are, the more relatability”
More Pages: Gadar 2 Box Office Collection , Gadar 2 Movie Review
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