Cinema Halls in AP do Flop Business, Exhibitors Cry for Govt Aid
Questioning the implementation of the AP Cinema Regulation Act, 1955, Raja urged the government to frame a concrete action plan to revive the ailing exhibition sector
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2026-01-25 04:24 GMT
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh’s cinema exhibition sector is staring at a severe crisis, with as many as 1,094 cinema theatres shutting down across the state, raising fears that organised entertainment may steadily vanish. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, MA-AP founder and film director Dileep Raja said the state, which once had over 2,000 theatres, has witnessed an alarming decline due to mounting operational costs and lack of institutional support.
Speaking at a press conference at the MA-AP office at Tenali on Saturday, Raja said many theatre owners were struggling to pay even electricity charges, forcing several cinema halls to be converted into shopping complexes and marriage halls. He warned that unless urgent steps were taken, entertainment through theatres would become a thing of the past in Andhra Pradesh.
Placing the issue in a national context, Raja noted that India has 6,877 theatres, with Andhra Pradesh still ranking first with 1,094 theatres despite the closures, followed by Tamil Nadu (987) and Karnataka (719). However, he lamented that theatres which once ran to packed houses now see audiences only during the release of films featuring top stars.
Dileep Raja criticised the state’s subsidy policy, pointing out that while Odisha, with just 180 theatres, offers film subsidies of up to `2.5 crore, the state government announced a subsidy of only `10 lakh. He alleged that no producer has received even this amount since the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 came into force.
Questioning the implementation of the AP Cinema Regulation Act, 1955, Raja urged the government to frame a concrete action plan to revive the ailing exhibition sector.
Assistant directors Gajulapalli Ramudu and Naresh Done, among others, were present.