On the first day of the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) today, Shah Rukh Khan spoke about the importance of building more theatres in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India.
He emphasized that the majority of theatres in the country are concentrated in metro cities and larger towns, making the movie-going experience an expensive affair for many.
Highlighting the need for simpler and more affordable theatres in smaller cities, he said they are important for showcasing regional cinema and celebrating it as much as mainstream, high-budget films.
This would help make entertainment more accessible and affordable for a larger section of the population.
When one thinks about it, the decline of single-screen theatres has led to the disappearance of a certain kind of cinema.
Films like Deewar, Zanjeer, and Trishul—which were stories about the “angry young man”—deeply resonated with Tier 2 and Tier 3 audiences.
After the decline of single screens, many from these regions stopped going to the movies due to the exorbitant ticket prices at large multiplex chains.
As a result, this segment of the population was no longer considered the target audience for theatrical releases.
Consequently, there are rarely any mainstream films made for this audience, let alone for the big screens.
To fill this gap, shows like Panchayat and Gram Chikitsalay found demand and connected with this audience. Even Netflix delivered some relatable films, like Serious Men starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, making it one of the few stories that resonated with this audience.
With more affordable cinema halls across the country, entertainment will no longer be a luxury only a few can afford. It will support the voices of budding storytellers and allow more regional stories to be told.
This step could help India return to celebrating cinema as a shared, community experience—just like it used to.
