Theater Shutdown in Telugu States Postponed From June 1

At 11 AM, a meeting was held with around 40 distributors from the Telugu states. Later, at 4 PM, the Chamber convened another meeting with Telugu film producers.

During these discussions, a majority of both distributors and producers expressed opposition to the theater shutdown. They advocated for resolving industry issues while continuing theater operations, rather than halting them.

Referencing past instances, such as temporary theater closures over Cube system disputes and production halts over artist remunerations, that yielded little success, stakeholders emphasized the need for a more constructive approach this time. Their consensus: let the films continue to run while solutions are actively pursued.

With audience footfall already declining due to piracy, the IPL season, and the rise of OTT platforms, a theater shutdown could further impact the industry, especially with several film releases lined up from May 30. Distributors and producers have requested exhibitors to reconsider the shutdown and instead collaborate in efforts that support the sustained growth of the Telugu film industry.

It is known that 1500-0dd exhibitors from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been demanding a percentage in box office collections over the rental system for the past few months, and a few exhibitors have announced shut down of theatres from June 1. However, industry bigwigs have resolved the dispute in good faith and urged exhibitors to call off their plans and keep discussing issues without shutting down theatres.