450 single screen cinema theatres in Telangana to shut down for two weeks

Hyderabad: Single screen cinema theatre owners in Telangana have decided to temporarily stop film screenings in view of losses due to absence of patronage.

The total number of single screen theatres in Telangana is approximately 450.

State film exhibitors association president Vijayender Reddy said the single screen theatre owners individually took the decision to stop screening from this week.

He said expenditure per day for them is to the tune of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 in small towns and between Rs 15,000 and Rs 18,000 in Hyderabad. However, the revenue per day, especially in the case of small cinemas, is not even Rs 4,000, he said.

The loss is about Rs 4,000 per day if the theatre is closed, while it would go up to about Rs 6,000 if a film is screened, he said.

The decision to halt the screenings would be in force for at least two weeks. The screenings have already been stopped in some theatres in the state, he said.

Reddy, however, said the theatre owners would be ready to screen films if any producers come forward and make an upfront payment as a business transaction. In such a scenario, the screening would continue if there is patronage.

There are no major films scheduled for release till June 15.