Facing dwindling footfalls in theaters, Telangana exhibitors have made the tough decision to temporarily close their doors for 10 days, starting from Friday (May 17). This unexpected move has sent shockwaves through the local movie-loving community. VL Sridhar, Vice President of the Telangana Film Chamber, shed light on the situation, citing various factors behind the decision and reacting to the recent developments.

Sridhar, who also owns a single-screen theater, highlighted the failure of Vijay Deverakonda’s film as the final straw that led to this unprecedented decision. He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for his support, noting that the Chief Minister had taken the time to meet with them on January 29 and listen to their concerns regarding piracy and other issues affecting their businesses.

The lack of quality film releases, the ongoing IPL matches, and the postponement of major film releases have all contributed to the struggles faced by single-screen theaters. Sridhar explained that his theater, for instance, had not even grossed 2 lakhs in the last month, while expenses including salaries, rent, and other overheads amounted to 1.70 lakhs, resulting in substantial losses.

Highlighting the challenges faced by distributors, exhibitors, and producers, Sridhar emphasized that while actors, actresses, and cinematographers were largely unaffected, others in the industry were suffering significant losses. He noted that only a few films, like HanuMan and Tillu Square, had seen success in the last five months of 2024.

Regarding the broader industry situation, Sridhar mentioned that even major cinema chains like Inox and PVR had suffered losses of 130 crores. However, he expressed hope that the situation would improve in the next 3-4 months. He also called on actors to be more considerate in scheduling their film releases, avoiding simultaneous releases during festivals and reducing pressure on single-screen theaters.

Closing the theaters temporarily was seen as a necessary step to alleviate the financial burden of running them while facing such challenging circumstances. Sridhar explained that keeping theaters open would mean incurring expenses even with minimal attendance, making it unsustainable in the current scenario.