Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has stressed the urgent need to increase the number of cinema theatres in India to attract larger audiences back to the big screen. Pointing out that currently only about 3 crore people watch movies in theatres nationwide, Aamir highlighted the vast untapped potential in a country with a population nearing 150 crores.
Echoing Aamir’s concerns, Telugu filmmaker Teja cited Baahubali as a rare exception, drawing around 4 crore viewers, while most big-ticket films still struggle to cross the 3 crore mark. “We need to bring more people into theatres. Even China has over 40,000 digital screens, whereas India barely has 9,000. Reaching 10,000 screens should be our immediate goal,” Teja stated.
In the Telugu states alone, there are around 1,500 theatres—a number Teja believes should increase further to meet demand. Having operated his own single-screen theatre in Vizag for over a decade, Teja explained how he keeps it running: “It’s not always easy, but I follow an annual rotation strategy instead of calculating profit and loss for every individual film.”
However, Teja believes the real push must come from the stars. “Theatre audiences largely come for star-driven films. Superstars like Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan should aim to do at least 2–3 films a year. In Telugu cinema, our top stars doing one film every two years isn’t sustainable,” he remarked. He praised Prabhas for increasing his film output, noting that more projects help generate employment for thousands in the industry.
Teja also urged leading actors like Ram Charan, Allu Arjun, Jr NTR, Mahesh Babu, and even veterans like Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna to raise their film frequency. “Only stars have the power to reignite the culture of going to theatres and bring back the lost glory of Indian cinema.”
Beyond just making more films, Teja emphasized affordability as a key factor. “A popcorn tub that costs Rs 100 in single screens is sold for Rs 500 or more in multiplexes. Add soft drinks and snacks, and a family could end up spending over Rs 1,000, which is unaffordable for many middle-class and young viewers.”
Yet not everyone shares this optimistic view. A senior exhibitor expressed doubts, saying that the rise of OTT platforms and early digital releases—often just four weeks after a theatrical debut—have led to declining footfalls. “Today, films last in theatres for just 3–4 days or, at most, a week. With social media criticism also affecting viewership, adding more screens may be wishful thinking,” he concluded.
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