Shadows over silver screen: Plot twist at box office hits small-town theatre owners
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Fighter and Ganapath, were targeted towards mass-market audiences, their lackluster box office numbers have dealt a severe blow to the once hopeful narrative of theatrical resurgence of single-screens following the covid-induced closures. During the challenging pandemic years, 1,500-2,000 theaters, mostly single-screens, had shuttered.
However, 2023 showcased the potential for revival with the success of commercial entertainers like Pathaan ( ₹512.76 crore), Jawan ( ₹554.30 crore), Gadar 2 ( ₹515.13 crore) and Animal ( ₹556.36 crore), which resonated with audiences in small-town markets. However, the optimism has been short-lived with the recent releases, which followed a similar template of star power and slick action, failing to make a mark.
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, featuring Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff and Sonakshi Sinha, could only muster ₹47.52 crore at the box office since its Eid release. Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, concluded its theatrical run with around ₹200 crore, way below its production costs of over ₹250 crore.
Shroff-starrer Ganapath, in fact, did not even cross the ₹10-crore earningsmark since its release in October. Also Read: Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Box Office Collection Day 13: Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff’s movie eyes ₹100 crore Amid this gloomy picture, a glimmer of hope emerged from the success of a few small-budget, content-driven films like Crew, Shaitaan, and Laapataa Ladies.
However, their popularity remained confined to larger multiplexes in metropolitan areas. According to Pranav Garg, managing director at Maya Palace, a two-screen cinema in Muzaffarnagar, audiences usually clamour for well-crafted entertainers that offer something new, especially
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