Days after superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan suggested building more theatres and offering cheaper ticket rates to the audience, new age exhibitor Sushil Chaudhary says the Indian theatrical ecosystem can be revived by focusing on making cinemas more “accessible and affordable,” like what he does with his mobile digital movie theatre company, PictureTime. At the ongoing WAVES 2025, Chaudhary was part of the panel discussion ‘Decline in the Theatrical Industry and Sparse Cinema Distribution’, where he reflected on the need to mount more cinemas and how he runs a model of setting up inflatable theatres in remote regions, where people have no access to movies.
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WAVES 2025: Exhibitor Sushil Chaudhary responds to Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan’s call for cheaper cinemas; speaks about Pathaan, Gadar 2, and Jawan’s success in remote regions
“I was happy to hear what Shah Rukh said regarding the need for more cinemas and cheaper tickets. Cinema is all about affordability, accessibility, and entertainment. After roti, kapda, makaan, cinema is the basic need. When we build our cinema, the focus is on keeping the capital cost under RS 1 crore and operational cost under RS 2 lakhs,” Chaudhary, founder & CEO of Picturetime, said.
Chaudhary revealed how he innovatively screened Kabir Khan’s 83 in Ladakh during the pandemic, drawing audiences despite 50% occupancy limits. Similarly, in Bommidi, a small town in Tamil Nadu, he set up a screen showcasing Vikram’s Veera Dheera Sooran, which now boasts over 56% occupancy, highlighting the enduring appeal of cinema.
“Movies like Pathaan, Gadar 2 and Jawan did very well on our screens in remote regions. Especially Gadar 2, which wasn’t promoted that much, but we had more than Rs 5 lakh collection every week from a 140-seater screen. The audience is willing to come. Like in Telangana’s Asifabad, which didn’t have a cinema hall for over three decades, we installed one during SS Rajamouli’s RRR, and today the average occupancy there is 30 percent. As Shah Rukh said, we need cheaper cinemas so that people can access our films. Disruption can happen then,” he added.
During the panel discussion, which was hosted by actor-filmmaker Vivek Vaswani, Chaudhary also highlighted the need for “clever programming” and answered why exhibitors often screen old films or are eager to showcase a re-release movie.
“The reason cinema hall owners like us screen old films is that the current distribution system is dated. We are forced to run one movie under multiple conditions, even if the film is not attracting the audience. So, clever programming is an answer. We re-release old films to optimise revenue. In interiors, I have seen that viewers watch a film as many as 40 times. Are we catering to them?
“Between 80s and 90s, we had 18,000 cinema screens and 21,000 were running licenses, but then there was a decline. Filmmakers also need to address how to avoid piracy, because every year we lose 3 billion dollars due to piracy. The big issues remain accessibility, affordability and outreach,” he added.
Also Read: WAVES 2025: Ektaa R Kapoor talks about the balance of culture and universal appeal in Indian content: “The more rooted you are, the more relatability”
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