Aamir Khan calls for more affordable and rural theaters to tap India's film potential
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan advocates for increased investment in cinema theatres within India.
Mumbai, stardom extraordinaire Aamir Khan recently voiced India's urgent need for more cinemas at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025). This ain't just about love for the silver screen; it's about giving millions of film fans access to movies in their hood!
On the second day of the shindig, ol' Aamir participated in a chinwag titled "Studios of the Future: Putting India on World Studio Map." He proposed that pumping some serious cash into cinema infrastructure could be the key to unleashing the Indian film industry’s true potential.
"Here's the deal, mate," Aamir stated. "We need a booming number of cinemas, diverse in nature, scattered 'cross India's landscape. Some districts and rural areas don't even have a cinematic outpost! You can imagine the situation, and I reckon most people can."
Aamir noted the disparity between India's ~10,000 screens and the 40,000 in the U.S. and the staggering 90,000 in China. "Look, for the nation's population size, we're severely lacking in the theater department," he commented.
Almost pity that only two percent of India—a country celebrated as a film lover's paradise—manages to catch blockbusters in theaters. "Just wondering where the other 98% catch a flick?" Aamir quizzed.
He bitterly lamented how entire regions, like Konkan, are bereft of theaters. "It's tragic that people in such places will only hear about films online. They're mostly out of luck."
To add fuel to the fire, he pointed out that many smaller towns and cities in India are priced out of cinema experiences. Aamir's solution? More screens all around!
Referring to the summit’s opening day, Khan's contemporary Shah Rukh Khan echoed his call for more affordable theaters in smaller towns. "Still, I’d like to see cheaper flicks in humble screening rooms in smaller towns. Otherwise, it's becoming like a bank robbery again!" he said.
Theista Aamir and a bevy of notables, like Shah Rukh, producers Ritesh Sidhwani, Dinesh Vijan, Namit Malhotra, PVR Inox founder Ajay Bijli, and American film producer Charles Roven, engaged in the cinematic discourse at WAVES 2025.
See ya at the movies, mate!
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- Enrichment Data:Aamir Khan, along with fellow industry leaders, has urged the need for infrastructure expansion, focusing on rural and smaller town theaters. Aiming to bridge the gap between the current ~10,000 screens in India and those in other top film markets like the U.S. and China, they highlighted the importance of lowering economic barriers for wider cinema access. To achieve this, the team advocates for government-led initiatives, industry collaboration, and technological integration.
For instance, WAVES 2025 (a summit focusing on global collaboration, AI, gaming, and digital storytelling) serves as a platform for pushing infrastructure advancements and showcasing India as a worldwide entertainment powerhouse. Moreover, suggestions include Diverse theater models (e.g., affordable single-screen venues) to cater to a variety of audiences and partnerships among film studios, policymakers, and local stakeholders.
With the ultimate goal of overcoming physical screen scarcity and financial hurdles, these initiatives promise to bring cinematic experiences to more people nationwide.
- Aamir Khan, known for his stardom, recently called for more affordable and rural theaters not just for cinema lovers, but to help tap India's untapped film potential at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025).
- The Indian film industry has significantly less infrastructure compared to other top film markets, with roughly 10,000 screens in contrast to 40,000 in the U.S. and a staggering 90,000 in China.
- Aamir Khan's solution to this discrepancy is investing in more cinemas, spreading them across India's landscape, even districts and rural areas that currently lack cinematic outposts.
- Aamir Khan's contemporary, Shah Rukh Khan, also voiced his support for cheaper films in smaller towns, expressing concerns about escalating theater costs making it difficult for these areas to experience cinema.
- To bridge this gap, the suggested initiatives include government-led projects, collaboration among industry leaders, and technological development, with a focus on diverse theater models and partnerships among policymakers, film studios, and local stakeholders.
- These efforts aim to bring cinematic experiences to more people nationwide, overcoming physical screen scarcity and financial barriers, and positioning India as a global entertainment powerhouse.
