Lucknow – 2025
In towns like Gorakhpur, Indore, Siliguri, and Ranchi, cinema once thrived as a weekly family ritual. Single screens drew queues around the block, and a film’s regional success could keep a theatre alive for years. But withthe rise of OTT platforms, urban multiplex dominance, and neglected infrastructure, many Tier-2 and Tier-3 cinema halls today stand abandoned or financially unviable.
As India’s content appetite spreads beyond metros, the question resurfaces:Can revitalizing cinema infrastructure in smaller cities lead to a new golden age of theatrical culture?
The Decline: A Slow, Uneven Collapse
Between 2009 and 2023, India lost over3,000 single-screen theatres, most of them in non-metro towns.
Key reasons:
- Inadequate maintenance and lack of digital projection upgrades
- High entertainment tax (before GST regime)
- Migration of audiences to OTT, cable, or pirated downloads
- Scarcity of compelling regional or Hindi content for these markets
- Poor seating, sanitation, air conditioning, and safety compliance in older halls
Many cinemas could no longercompete with living-room comfort or smartphone convenience.
Who Still Goes to the Theatre?
Tier-2 audiences still respond to:
- Big-ticket festival releases (Pathaan, KGF 2, RRR)
- Local-language films (Bhojpuri, Chhattisgarhi, Marathi, Punjabi)
- Low-cost matinee shows for students or daily wage workers
- Community-driven screenings tied to local events or political campaigns
Yet footfall remains seasonal—not consistent.
New Hope: Mini-Plexes & Rural Screens
Emerging models suggestaffordable, localized formatsmay hold the key:
- Mini-Plexes (50–120 seats) with low overhead costs
- Digital projection vans for rural pop-up cinemas
- Co-branded community halls in association with OTT giants or film co-ops
- PPP Models (Public-Private Partnerships) supported by state tourism or culture departments
Chains likeMoksh Cinemas,Carnival, andMirajare experimenting withcluster-screen modelsin Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.
Government Incentives: Still Nascent
While some states offercapital subsidies for cinema infrastructure, the ecosystem lacks:
- Single-window clearance systems for licensing
- Electricity and property tax reliefs
- Soft loans for digitization of projectors and sound
- Skilled labour training programs in cinema operations
A centralisedCinema Revival Fundcould help modernize defunct theatres, especially in cultural or district hubs.
Tier-2 India: Underrated But Undeniable Market
With rising disposable income and smartphone penetration, Tier-2 India is:
- Driving YouTube and regional OTT consumption
- Leading music streaming in non-English languages
- Forming fan communities for South Indian films, dubbed anime, and web series
If content creators meet this demand withhybrid releases, regional dubs, and community-driven narratives,cinemas in these zones can become profitable again—if supported by smart infrastructure upgrades.
Conclusion
Reviving cinema halls in smaller towns isn’t just about preserving nostalgia—it’s aboutbuilding access, community, and economic momentum.
Because for many Indians,theatre-going isn’t just entertainment—it’s identity, gathering, and escape.
And when that curtain rises again in forgotten districts,Bollywood’s real revival may not begin in Mumbai—but in Muzaffarpur.
