At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai, two of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, shared a candid yet hopeful perspective on the challenges facing Hindi cinema and how it can thrive in this post-pandemic, OTT-driven landscape.
Aamir Khan pointed out a significant issue during a panel discussion titled ‘Studios of the Future: Putting India on World Studio Map’. He emphasised a critical flaw in India’s film industry: the shockingly low number of screens available. “Only 2 per cent of our population goes to the theatres. Where’s the rest of the audience?” he questioned, highlighting the struggle of getting stories in front of viewers without proper access.
“One of the biggest issues that we have faced over the decades is that we do not have enough screens. According to me, that is what we should be investing in. India has huge potential, but it will only be realised when you have those points of sale across the country. If you do not have it, I can’t just watch the film. I can only hear about it,” Aamir explained.
He also criticised the short window between theatrical releases and OTT platforms, calling it “very unfortunate” and “flawed.” “Why are films not doing well?", The OTT aspect is something which must be looked at. You are telling the audience not to come, that’s why they are not doing well,” he said.
In a different session titled ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler’, Shah Rukh Khan echoed Aamir’s sentiments, advocating for the establishment of affordable theatres in smaller towns. ““The call of the day is a lot more theatres, simpler theatres and cheaper theatres in smaller towns and cities so that we can showcase Indian films, in whichever language, to a larger majority of Indians at cheaper rates,” he stated.
He pointed to the limited spread of multiplexes in urban India and said the country must look to decentralise film exhibition. “We keep talking about the China model with regard to the number of theatres; that can happen here as well. It’ll increase footfall.”
He further mentioned that enhancing infrastructure and easing production challenges could help draw audiences back to theatres. Praising WAVES, SRK also expressed gratitude to the government for finally engaging with the film industry’s deeper issues.