Film workers take the complaint to the ministry
The All India Cine Workers Association has asked Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to look into the reduction in cinema screenings for Vinod Kapri’s Hindi film Pyre. Association president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta signed the letter, which takes the dispute over theatre bookings to the ministry after Kapri publicly appealed for cinemas to bring back his film.
The association also asked for a formal screen-allocation policy to protect smaller releases. The Indian Express reported that the letter sought police cases against theatre owners and distributors found responsible. The reports describe requests from the association. They do not establish that the ministry has ordered an inquiry or that any theatre or distributor broke the law.
[1][2]What happened to the screenings
Kapri has said that Pyre’s theatrical footprint grew from around 80 screens to about 400 before dropping below 100 after Ramayana opened on November 5. Those figures are the filmmaker’s account. The association’s letter cites the case to ask how cinemas should allocate space when a large release arrives during the run of a smaller film.
Pyre follows an elderly couple in a Himalayan village whose children live away from home. India Today reported that the film was made on a budget of about ₹2.5 crore. The dispute concerns how long audiences have a chance to find a film like Pyre in theatres after its opening, particularly when bookings change around another release.
[1][2]Kapri says more shows are coming Friday
Kapri said more than 200 shows would be added from Friday, November 13, according to The Indian Express. That is a count of performances the filmmaker expects to be added, which cannot be compared directly with the earlier count of cinema screens. The announced addition gives viewers a date to check local listings while the association’s separate request for an inquiry remains unresolved in the published reports.
[1]