Better theatres, better businessShah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, in different sessions, emphasised the need for more theatres to make the experience of watching films more accessible. In a panel discussion titled ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler’ moderated by his friend and frequent collaborator Karan Johar, speaking alongside Deepika Padukone, SRK noted that theatres are the need of the hour today. “Small theatres in small towns, cheaper theatres so that we can show more films to people in every corner of the country,” he said.In another panel discussion on ‘Studios of the Future: Putting India on World Studio Map,’ Aamir Khan said that India is a cinema-loving country but the majority of its people don’t have access to theatres. “India has huge potential but that can only be realised when you have more screens across the country. If you don’t, then people won’t watch the films,” the actor said.He also highlighted that India is way behind the United States and China in terms of cinema screen count. “For the size of the country and the number of people living here, we have very few theatres. I think we have around 10,000 screens. In the US, which has one-third the population of India, they have 40,000 screens. China has 90,000 screens,” he said.Even for blockbuster movies, only a tiny fraction of Indians are able to watch them in theatres, he noted. “Only two per cent of the population in our country, which is recognised as a film loving country, watches our biggest hits in theatres. Where is the rest — 98 per cent — watching a movie?” he asked.Aamir also spoke about Hindi films not working at the box office. He blamed the “faulty business model” of theatricals being given to OTT platforms in just 45 days of their release. “The window is too small between a theatrical and OTT release. You are killing your own business,” he said.“You are telling the audience not to come, that’s why they are not doing well,” he added.
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