'Mirai' actor Teja Sajja speaks about the prevalent issue of low screen count in India

Mumbai, Sep 13 (IANS) Actor Teja Sajja, who is receiving positive response to his recently released film ‘Mirai’, has spoken up about the problem of screen count that currently prevails in India.

The actor spoke with IANS at a 5-star property in the run-up to the film’s release, and said that the way to counter the problem of screen count in India goes through good content.

He told IANS, “For the biggest of our Indian films like ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, ‘Baahubali’ or other films which have set a benchmark, the turnaround of the audience have been close to 20-25% of our population although I’m not accurate with the numbers”.

As of 2023, India had approximately 9,742 cinema screens, reflecting a modest recovery from the pandemic-induced decline.

He further mentioned, “I am not exactly sure how we turn it around. But with the future releases that are on cards from Indian cinema, I am sure we are going to generate more and more curiosity amongst the audience. And when the audience is ready to turn around or come to the theatres, turn up to the theatres, I am sure everything will be sorted”.

Of the 9742 screens, south India holds majority of screens with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala accounting for roughly 50% of the national screencount with 4573. The rest of the screens are distributed between north, central, western, eastern and north-east India. This disparity is attributed to factors such as real estate costs, government incentives, and audience preferences.

Industry trends indicate a significant shift towards multiplexes in urban areas, driven by the expansion of chains like PVR INOX, Cinepolis, and Carnival Cinemas. Despite this, single-screen theatres remain prevalent in smaller towns and rural regions, often serving as the primary venue for film screenings.

--IANS

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