As the first half of 2026 concluded on June 30, veteran theatre owners in India reflected on the state of the country’s theatre business. Manoj Desai, owner of Gaiety Galaxy, one of India’s oldest theatres, highlighted the challenges faced by theatres despite a few successful movies like ‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Border 2’. Desai expressed concerns over the industry’s struggle to attract audiences back to theatres amidst the growing popularity of OTT platforms.
Desai emphasized the importance of content over star cast in drawing audiences to movies. He also noted the significant role of music in engaging viewers with films. Surprisingly, Desai observed that South Indian movies tend to perform better in Mumbai compared to Bollywood films, indicating changing audience preferences.
In contrast, Vishak Chauhan, a fourth-generation theatre owner from Purnia Bihar, had a more positive outlook on the first half of 2026. Chauhan reported a decent performance in the box office with movies like ‘Dhurandhar’, ‘Border 2’, ‘Bhooth Bangla’, and ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ achieving success nationwide. He highlighted a shift towards universal cinema, focusing on basic subjects and grounded storytelling to resonate with audiences.
Chauhan praised the unexpected success of ‘Haunted’, a sequel to Vikram Bhatt’s film, and discussed the favorable reception of Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vapas Aaunga’ among elite multiplex audiences. He concluded that the industry’s willingness to embrace diverse cinema genres signals a healthy trend for theatres, exhibitors, distributors, and producers.
