'Only 2 per cent of population watches films in theatres, need to invest in more screens': Aamir Khan

Superstar Aamir Khan on Friday said India is a film loving country but the majority of its people lack access to cinema halls compared to countries like US and China which are way ahead when it comes to number of screens.

On day two of the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) here, the 60-year-old actor participated in a session titled “Studios of the Future: Putting India on World Studio Map”.

Aamir said there is a serious need for investment in infrastructure to boost the industry’s growth.

“My belief is that we need to have a lot more theatres in India and theatres of different kinds. There are districts and vast areas in the country which don’t have a single theatre. Whatever issues we have faced over the decades is just about having more screens.

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“And according to me, that is what we should be investing in. India has huge potential but that can only be realised when you have more screens across the country. If you don’t, then people won’t watch the films,” the actor said.

Aamir said India is way behind the United States and China in terms of cinema screen count.

“For the size of the country and the number of people living here, we have very few theatres. I think we have around 10,000 screens. In the US, which has one-third the population of India, they have 40,000 screens. So they are way ahead of us. China has 90,000 screens.

“Now, even in this 10,000, half of them are in the South and the other half is in the rest of the country. So for a Hindi film typically, it is around 5,000 screens,” Aamir said.

Even for blockbuster movies, only a tiny fraction of Indians are able to watch them in theatres, he noted.

“Only two per cent of the population in our country, which is recognised as a film loving country, watches our biggest hits in theatres. Where is the rest – 98 per cent – watching a movie?” he asked.

He also lamented that many areas in India, including regions like Konkan, have no theatres at all.

“People in those areas will hear about the films, will see the chatter online but there is no way to watch them… that’s a very unfortunate situation. So the first thing we need to do is that we must have more screens,” Aamir added.

On the first day of the summit, Aamir’s contemporary Shah Rukh Khan had also batted for more theatres in the country.

During the session, Aamir said the window between a movie’s theatrical release and streaming debut is too small.

“You are killing your own business… Earlier, films would come in theatres and a year later on satellite. Then it became eight and six months later on satellite. So, as an audience I’ve a choice: I can watch the film in the theatre or I can wait for six months and watch it on satellite.

“Today, if I’m selling you a product and I tell you, ‘Please buy it from me and if you don’t I’ll come and drop it at your place in eight weeks’. This is the business model that we’re currently following,” he said.

Many people today don’t prefer to watch movies on the big screen as they know that they can access it later on OTT, he added.

“In a price sense, in a country like India, it is a big deal. This is something that needs to be looked at. It is a funny business model. Then we talk about, ‘Why are films not doing well?’ Hello, you are telling the audience don’t come, that’s why they are not doing well,” Aamir said.

The discussion about the quality of movies being made in Hindi cinema is a separate issue, he added.

“Whether your film is good or bad, this business model doesn’t make sense to me. If I make a very good film, this business model still doesn’t make sense to me. Currently, it is a faulty business model,” he said.

Aamir praised the government for coming up with an initiative like WAVES, which is billed as the biggest gathering of the media and entertainment industry.

“This is the first time that any government has applied their mind and their emotions and said, ‘Let’s do something in media and entertainment. Let’s make that powerful. Let’s make India a leader in that.’”

WAVES is aimed at giving a boost to the creator’s economy taking shape across the world, integrating sectors like films, OTT, gaming, comics, digital media, AI, AVGC-XR, broadcasting and emerging tech.

Held at the Jio World Convention Centre, the first two days focus on cinema, filmmaking, and marketing, while the next two days will witness business meetings and participation from the general public.

Aamir hoped that the discussions during the summit will “translate into policies”.

“I feel for the first time that this dialogue has started between the creative fraternity and the government. It’s a very welcome start and with the correct kind of dialogue that we have with the government, we can actually come out with certain policies that have a deep and far ranging impact on the business in the creative fields.”

At the session, Aamir was joined by producers Ritesh Sidhwani, Dinesh Vijan, Namit Malhotra, PVR Inox founder Ajay Bijli and

American film producer Charles Roven.