Cinema Is Affordable In South & Expensive In North – Rana

Theatre business in Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is quite strong compared to the business in northern India. Actor Rana Daggubati said Telugu film industry is doing better than other industries due to variety in the craft. He said the cost of movie-viewing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is still not as expensive as Mumbai and Delhi.

Having been part of the movie business for over 15 years, the Baahubali actor said Telugu cinema has seen a remarkable growth in terms of pan-global success flicks or small-budget films.

The actor said that the world is witnessing a decline of theatres in some manner. Seven years ago, there were three times the number of theatres that are today. Now audiences have so many options and mediums of entertainment of content viewing be it OTT, YouTube or other apps, he added.

Big cities like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and even smaller towns sustain the business with theatres. Single screens are still a viable business for exhibitors because of films with mass appeal.

The business is strong and culturally rooted in Telugu with as many as 2,500 active screens, however, the scenario in north India is bleak. With a bigger population, theatre business seems to be dull. With single screens declining rapidly, multiplexes are dominating the scene while some pockets of the north rely completely on OTTs.

Stating that the cinema will always find its beat, Rana cited the recent courtroom drama starring actor Priyadarshi titled ‘Court’ which resonated with audiences despite being small budget and relatively lesser known star cast.