Single-screen theatres in Telangana to shut down for 10 days

The lack of releases in the last month has resulted in low box-office collections, making it quite a dull summer for the film business.

There has reportedly been a noticeable decline in the footfalls at single-screen theatres in Telangana, all thanks to the IPL, the availability of a lot of content on OTT platforms, and growing interest in Lok Sabha Elections.

While it seems like many multiplexes are also reducing the number of shows they offer, multiplexes stay open unlike single screens, which are forced to close.

There are over 250 single-screen theatres in Telangana of which 80 are located in Hyderabad alone.

While some theatres might decide to return with low-budget movies, most haven’t decided how they’re going to reopen, after the 10-day interval and will hold off until a big movie opens.

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Only 2 super hits in Telugu in Q1

Just two movies thus far, Hanu-Man and Tillu Square, have proven to be successful. There wasn’t much occupancy for the remaining films.

Hanu-Man reportedly made ₹220.6 crore in worldwide collections (with a domestic gross of ₹170.6 crore), well above its ₹30 crore production budget.

Directed by Prasanth Varma, the film headlined by Teja Sajja, has Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Vinay Rai, and Vennela Kishore in key roles.

Tillu Square, starring Siddhu Jonnalagadda and Anupama Parameswaran, received a good response from critics and audiences alike.

Regarding its global earnings, the makers declared that their film brought in ₹91 crore in revenue in just six days.

Small-budget films that came out this summer barely attracted any crowd and bombed at the box office after Sankranthi. Therefore, producers are unwilling to release their films as they don’t have any major releases coming up.

Will the dry spell end?

Theatre proprietors, on the other hand, believe that it is impossible to operate the theatres to empty galleries. Thanks to this decision, they will also be able to save money on other daily expenses like electricity bills.

On 31 May, single-screen theatres in Telangana will reopen for Vishwak Sen’s Gangs of Godavari.

In addition, a lot of theatres and multiplexes are counting on big-budget movies like Kalki 2898-AD, Indian 2, Pushpa 2: The Rule, Game Changer, and Vishwambhara to revive the business of the movie industry.

The exhibitors anticipate that the dry spell in Telugu movies will end in June.

This isn’t the first time that theatres have decided to shut down operations. Earlier, owing to COVID-19, some theatres have voluntarily shut shop.

Also Read: Telugu cinema in Q1 2024: More misses than hits