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Are Single-Screen Cinemas In India Dying? What Their Waning Numbers Reveal About Its Bleak Future?

Research done by Hemant Chaturvedi, a former cinematographer, gives us some crucial insight into the waning popularity of single-screen cinemas in India.

by Tooba Shaikh
Are Single-Screen Cinemas In India Dying? What Their Waning Numbers Reveal About Its Bleak Future?

Single-screen cinemas are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. A huge chunk of the new generation is blissfully ignorant of the quaint charm of these theatres. Instead, they happily line up at multiplexes run by multinational corporations to see the latest blockbuster which is made in such a way that single-screen theatres cannot project it given the lack of technological support. Research done by Hemant Chaturvedi, a former cinematographer, gives us some crucial insight into the waning popularity of single-screen cinemas in India.

Are Single-Screen Cinemas Dying? What The Research Says

According to an article which was recently published by The Indian Express or IE, more than 20,000 single-screen cinemas have closed doors over the past three decades. Now, less than 6,000 theatres across the country struggle to survive amid myriad challenges.

The two major challenges that plague single-screen theatres are a lack of government support and rapidly advancing technology and competition. Many MNCs get various tax subsidies from the government and are up to date with the latest technology which rapidly changes.

For single-screen cinemas, such tech may be out of reach as it’s financially not viable for them to keep up with the rapidly changing technology. Furthermore, appeals by single-screen theatre owners for tax subsidies to the government have fallen on deaf ears.

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Some Of The Oldest Cinemas In The Country Still Running

1. Maratha Mandir, Mumbai

Established in 1958, this single-screen cinema is known for having the longest run of Dilwale Dulhaniya Leh Jayenge.

2. Poorna Theatre, Visakhapatnam

The exact date of establishment is unknown however, it is widely believed that the theatre was first established in the 1930s.

3. Moti Cinema, Bengaluru

Moti Cinema was first established in the 1940s and is one of the last single-screen cinemas in theatre.

4. Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur

Established in 1976, it may not be the oldest single-screen cinema in the country but it certainly is one of the grandest.

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Do you think the distinctive charm and experience of the single-screen cinema should be saved with government effort? Do you have a favourite cinema that you regularly visit? Let us know in the comments section below!

Cover Image Credits: @mumbaiheritage/X (Formerly, Twitter)

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