Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has criticized Indian cinema halls for limiting screen allocations to smaller films, which he said effectively kills their commercial viability.
This critique highlights a growing tension in the Indian film industry between high-budget "event" movies and content-driven cinema. As theatres prioritize massive releases to maximize immediate returns, smaller films struggle to find the visibility needed to attract audiences through organic growth.
Kashyap specifically pointed to films such as 'Bandar' and 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' as examples of projects hindered by this system [1]. He said that theatres allocate the vast majority of screens to expensive, high-profile releases, leaving insufficient space for smaller films to build momentum [3].
According to Kashyap, the current theatrical environment is too aggressive to allow for the traditional growth of a film's reputation. "Theatres don't allow word of mouth to build now; it's cut throat," he said [3]. This lack of screen availability prevents audiences from discovering smaller films, which leads to their commercial failure regardless of quality [2].
Kashyap also warned that the industry's obsession with massive budgets is a risky strategy. He said that for every successful big-budget film like 'Dhurandhar', five expensive films will bomb [1], [2]. This suggests a volatile market where high spending does not guarantee a return on investment [2].
By prioritizing these "event" films, Kashyap said theatres are creating a bottleneck that stifles diversity in cinema. The reliance on a few massive hits leaves little room for the experimental, or narrative-heavy works, that historically shaped the industry [3].
“"Theatres don't allow word of mouth to build now; it's cut throat."”
Kashyap's comments reflect a systemic shift in Indian film distribution where the 'blockbuster' model dominates screen availability. By marginalizing mid-budget and independent films, the industry risks a cycle where only high-budget spectacles are viable for theatrical release, potentially pushing diverse storytelling exclusively to streaming platforms and eroding the theatrical experience for all but the largest franchises.
