Occupancy ratio in theatres falls below 20% as no big film released in AP

Vijayawada: Devoid of big-budget film releases in the summer season, single-screen theatres across Andhra Pradesh are losing money as the occupancy ratio fell below 20 per cent in the cinema halls.

“Due to lack of star-hero film releases, the footfall in the single screen theatres has drastically reduced. With limited options available, theatres are running small-hero films and the spectators are coming in mainly during the weekends,” said Mutyala Ramesh, former secretary and current EC member of AP film chamber of commerce.

“The fall in occupancy ratio should be a wake-up call for all the major production houses,” he observed, adding that the advent of OTT platforms has taken away the sheen of the exhibition business.

He said, “Summers are always a period of good business for cinema houses. But, the unavailability of big films in this season, coupled with the IPL cricket tournament and general elections, derailed the entertainment business completely.”

“The single-screen exhibitors are facing financial constraints and incurring huge losses. The average occupancy ratio is below 20 per cent per show and the patronage for some shows is nil, forcing the theatre managements to cancel the entire shows,” said RV Bhopal Prasad, the proprietor of Navrang theatre.

“The Covid-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the theatre business and from then on, the businesses didn't recover.”

He explained, “A single screen theatre has to spend Rs 13,000 to Rs 14,000 per day and the income generated is less than Rs 3,000. Theatre owners are obliged to pay Rs 13,000 as rent for UFO and Qube operators, which is not viable for the cinema halls given the current dull season.”

Andhra Pradesh has more than 650 single screens, possibly the highest for any state.

“The advent of multiplex complexes in big cities like Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam has killed the single screen cinemas halls,” Bhopal Prasad stated.

B Hari, a resident of Vijayawada, said, “I used to watch every newly released film on Fridays. However, with no prominent movie releases in the last few weeks, I have not visited any movie theatre.”