Recent Random Post:
Aamir Khan’s Theatre Screen Remark Triggers Industry Debate
Bollywood top-league actor Aamir Khan often finds himself in the spotlight for his unconventional public statements, and his latest remarks on cinema halls have once again triggered a debate within film industry circles and among trade analysts.
Speaking to a leading Hollywood news agency, Aamir Khan expressed concern over the limited number of cinema screens in India. He stated that a country as vast as India needs far more theatres—on par with nations like China and the USA—so that films can achieve higher box-office revenues.
The Sitaare Zameen Par actor pointed out that India currently has around 9,000 screens, which he described as alarmingly low compared to China and the USA, where films often register massive collections due to wider theatrical reach. Citing the recent Bollywood blockbuster Dhurandhar as an example, Aamir said that Ranveer Singh’s spy thriller could have earned significantly more had it released on 15,000 screens instead of just 5,000.
While there is some logic in Aamir Khan’s argument from a theoretical perspective, many feel the idea is commercially impractical in the Indian context. Factors such as land acquisition challenges, soaring construction costs, high theatre rentals, maintenance expenses, and inconsistent occupancy rates make large-scale expansion difficult.
Adding to these challenges are declining theatre footfalls due to rampant piracy and the rapid rise of OTT platforms, which have already led to the closure of several single-screen theatres in recent years. Moreover, with the overall success rate of films being relatively low, sustaining single screens amid the dominance of multiplex culture has become increasingly unviable in today’s market.
In this backdrop, some industry observers are questioning why Aamir Khan remained silent when the single-screen ecosystem was steadily eroding over the years, and why concerns are being raised now—when many believe it may already be too late to reverse the trend.
