Maverick Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has expressed deep disappointment over the theatrical programming in the country, calling out the uneven distribution of screens between massive Hollywood imports and domestic releases. The outspoken director took to his social media handles to express his frustration with how theatre owners are prioritizing the runaway Hollywood psychological horror hit, Obsession, at the direct expense of highly anticipated Indian films across various languages. Kashyap specifically highlighted that while independent and local movies are fighting for basic breathing space in multiplexes, a single foreign title is hogging prime slots. He firmly stated that if the local exhibition sector does not prioritize its own films with better showcasing, he fails to understand how the home industry will manage to grow and survive in the long run.
The core of Kashyap’s grievance stems from the scheduling patterns witnessed over the past two weeks, a problem he claims has become a pattern. He pointed out that his own critically acclaimed directorial venture Bandar, which features a powerhouse ensemble cast led by Bobby Deol, faced severe theater scarcity during its screening run. The situation has only worsened with the arrival of a highly crowded Friday box office window that saw multiple major domestic titles entering the exhibition ring simultaneously. According to the filmmaker, newly released projects like Imtiaz Ali’s romantic saga Main Vaapas Aaunga, the Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Governor, and the regional film Sing Geetham are all being heavily sidelined, frequently being relegated to just one solitary morning show per cinema hall, or in the case of Sing Geetham, getting completely wiped out from screens in major metropolitan hubs like Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Curry Barker’s low-budget indie horror phenomenon Obsession has been enjoying an unprecedented box office run globally and domestically, crossing the fifty crore milestone in India alone through sheer social media traction and explosive word-of-mouth. While Anurag Kashyap clarified that he fully comprehends the massive audience demand to watch the supernatural thriller, he argued that popular international cinema can easily sustain a long, healthy run in theatres even with a reduced daily show count. He argued that flooding the multiplex chains with six to seven daily shows for a single Hollywood feature leaves absolutely no room for local stories to establish their footing, ultimately creating a toxic ecosystem where content-driven Indian cinema is choked out before audiences can discover it.
The intense debate arrives at a time when the domestic theatrical market is exceptionally congested, with nearly fourteen films currently wrestling for limited multiplex screens across India. Trade analysts have frequently questioned the wisdom behind multiple production houses releasing their films on the exact same weekend, as titles like Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata and Haunted 3D are also competing for the exact same audience demographic. However, Kashyap’s public statement places the responsibility back on the exhibitors, urging them to strike a healthier balance that protects the cultural roots of Indian storytelling. As the box office weekend progresses, the film industry will be watching closely to see if his criticisms prompt theater programmers to adjust their schedules and give domestic creators a fair fighting chance.
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