National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri said on Saturday that his independent feature Pyre has lost most of its theatrical footprint within a week of release. In a video statement posted on X, Kapri said 75% of the film’s shows had been removed over the previous two days, and that its screen count had fallen from roughly 400 to under 100. He did not name the rival title, but said theatre owners and distributors had been told “no other film will be running in theatres except one film.”
A word-of-mouth run cut short
Pyre opened last week to strong reviews. The film follows an elderly couple in a quiet Himalayan village who keep waiting for their children to return. Kapri said the film began with a limited release on around 80 screens, then moved to about 400 because of audience response. The sharp reversal, he said, came in the last two days.
- Opened: roughly 80 screens
- Expanded: around 400 screens on word of mouth
- Cut: 75% of shows removed within the first week
- Now: under 100 screens
Kapri stopped short of naming the bigger film. The major title commanding most screens since November 5 is Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash. The two-part adaptation of the Hindu epic has crossed ₹155 crore so far, according to the source. Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios, the film is the clearest explanation for why exhibitors would consolidate showtimes.
Why the screen battle matters
For films like Pyre, word of mouth is not a bonus; it is the campaign. A small release can only convert critical goodwill into tickets while its shows are discoverable. Kapri made that point directly in his message: “We deserve a fair chance.” The caption beneath his post added: “This is not fair, not to Pyre. Not to your audience.”
The dispute is not only about one film. It is about how Hindi theatrical distribution balances a tentpole, which needs thousands of shows to recover its scale, against smaller films that need far fewer screens but a visible run.
What audiences can do
Kapri has asked theatre owners and distributors to restore Pyre’s screenings. What is in a viewer’s hands is timing. With the film now playing on fewer than 100 screens, anyone who wants to see it in a cinema should check local listings and book quickly. A shrinking window rewards early ticket-buying and clear demand.
Kapri’s appeal turns the conversation away from the quality of any single title and toward screen access. The coming days will show whether the remaining shows are protected or quietly trimmed further.
Source: Hindustan Times
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