Closure of Bengaluru’s Urvashi Theatre reflects single screens’ toughest script yet

Closure of Bengaluru’s Urvashi Theatre reflects single screens’ toughest script yet

The curtains will soon drop at Bengaluru's Urvashi Theatre, and with it, another chapter of India’s single-screen legacy will fade to black.

Once home to frenzied first-day-first-shows and deafening whistles, the theatre’s closure highlights the fragile future of standalone cinemas in the country.

An estimated count of single screens in India shows that the number has dropped more than 70 percent in the last three decades.

Producer and film trade expert, Girish Johar shared that there were 23,500 single screens in India in 1995, dropping to 12,500 a decade later in 2005. The decline continued over the years with single screen count falling to 9,500 by 2015 and 6,500 by 2025.

India’s screen density remains extremely low compared to other countries like the US and China, with just 6 percent of its population, as per FICCI-EY estimates entering any cinema hall in a year, due to lower-cost alternatives like streaming platforms and TV being available to large parts of the population.

Urvashi Theatre’s closure comes after the 50-year old Cauvery Theatre in Bengaluru shut shop last year owing to financial pressures. The state of single screen cinemas in the city paints a grim picture of their fate with some even expecting no single screens surviving in the city in the next few years.

For Bengaluru locals, Urvashi Theatre, which was built in the 1970s with a capacity of 1,100 people, has stood as a familiar landmark in the city’s collective cultural memory.

Set on Siddaiah Road near Lal Bagh, the theatre has, for decades, been a go-to spot for weekend plans, festive gatherings, and for some, a place to ease homesickness after relocating to Bengaluru.

The theatre’s closure set off a nostalgic chord across the city, with many recalling the joy of watching films like KGF and Kantara, the sprawling queues, the inviting aromas of popcorn and samosas, and the grand posters that greeted every visitor.

In addition to competition from streaming platforms, Johar pointed to high expensive real estate for the decline of single screens.

He added that the mall culture has made cinema from 'Destination Point' to 'Option Venue'.

Another big blow was the pandemic which led to the closure of many standalone properties in the country.

Single screen counts across the country have dropped significantly. For instance, Punjab now only has two operational single screen cinemas, down from 55 in 2002, noted Johar.

The same is the case in other cities. For example, Delhi has three single screens versus 80 around two decades ago. Orissa now has 46 single screens as compared to 310 in 2002, the count in Uttar Pradesh has dropped to 500 from 1,250, in Telangana it has declined to 776 from 1,385 and in Andhra Pradesh the number has fallen to 1000 from 2,200.

The scenario is no different for multiplexes that are seeing a very slow growth in new screen additions. The screen additions by multiplex chains in the post-Covid period so far has been mostly the capacity that was held up due to the pandemic. Movie screens added by multiplexes in the last two years have made up for the screens India lost during the pandemic.

It is estimated that not more than 1,200-1,300 screens by multiplex operators will get added in the next five years.

"We have over 3,700 multiplex screens now, which has reduced geographical spread and increased premium costs. From a mass easy medium, we have moved to a premium aspirational medium," Johar said.

He said the need of the hour is more spread of screens which are affordable with the latest technology.

Government push, tax holidays, easy rules and licenses along with fixed window between theatrical and other rights like streaming is also important to boost screen growth.