The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has asked Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to examine why Pyre, Vinod Kapri’s small-budget drama, lost most of its screens after Ramayana: Rise of Legend opened.
In a letter from AICWA president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, the industry body says Pyre expanded from about 80 screens to roughly 400 purely on word of mouth. After the big-ticket Ramayana released, it alleges, the count fell below 100 even though the film was drawing audiences.
From a sleeper hit to a screen fight
Made for about ₹2.5 crore and led by newcomers, Pyre tells the story of an elderly couple waiting for their children in a quiet Himalayan village. It released last week to strong reviews, and Kapri had earlier claimed the screen count dropped by 75% after the Nitesh Tiwari-directed Ramayana—billed as the most expensive Indian film—arrived.
In a video message, Kapri argued that theatre owners and distributors had been told only one film would run in theatres. He said the small film deserved a fair chance and criticised the idea of stopping one film to make room for another.
What AICWA is demanding
Gupta’s letter does not oppose Ramayana: Rise of Legend. He writes that it is a large-budget film that has given work to hundreds, and should succeed so producers profit and workers are paid on time. But he adds: “A big film’s success should not come at the cost of a small film that audiences are already embracing.”
He argues: “Small-budget films are the backbone of Indian cinema.” If even a working small film is removed, the letter says, producers may stop making such films, new artists will lose a launchpad, and lakhs of workers could lose employment.
The letter asks the ministry to:
- Create a Fair Screen Allocation Policy for Indian Cinema
- Set up a grievance redressal mechanism for independent and small-budget films
- Hold an impartial inquiry into why Pyre fell from about 400 screens to under 100 despite positive audience response
- File FIRs against theatre owners and distributors found guilty
- Restore the maximum possible screens and shows for Pyre while the inquiry runs
Why this matters beyond one film
The standoff restates a familiar exhibition problem: when a costly title commands a high share of screens, smaller films—even those with demand—struggle to hold shows. Gupta cites small-budget hits like HanuMan to argue that such films need a clearer path to theatres.
For fans, the dispute is about access: a film people are recommending is suddenly hard to find. For small producers, losing shows early can stop the momentum word of mouth has built, and that can decide whether a low-budget title survives.
For audiences who already liked Pyre, the immediate question is availability. For the industry, the letter turns a single film’s screen cut into a policy question about how independent cinema gets a fair run.
Source: Hindustan Times