Dil Raju steps in to resolve Producers-Exhibitors dispute

Dil Raju steps in to resolve Producers-Exhibitors dispute. Exhibitors due to the current system are planning to go on strike by shutting down theatres starting from 1 June 2025. Following this, Dil Raju, chairman of the Telangana State Film Development Corporation is planning to resolve the issue between producers and exhibitors meeting the exhibitors on 18 May 2025.

With much awaited films Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Kingdom, Vishwambhara, Kuberaa, Mass Jathara, and Kannappa up for release during June-July, the shutdown of around 1500 single screen theatres in AP and Telangana will sound a deathknell. Exhibitors have been demanding revenue sharing system rather than the current rental system.

“This change could be a game-changer,” said an exhibitor. “Right now, if a film earns ₹40 lakh in a week, theatre owners get only ₹1 lakh in rent while the distributor takes the lion’s share. But if the film earns only ₹80,000, producers suddenly want to split revenues 50-50. Either way, we lose.”

An exhibitor says "With operational costs rising and audience turnout declining, many single-screen theatres have already cut back from the standard 24 shows per week to just 12–14—or shut down entirely. “Most of us are barely functioning, and many theatres remain dark for days,”

Another exhibitor shared “This outdated rental model is no longer sustainable,” He continued “Producers walk away with the profits while we shoulder the losses. We need a model that shares both risk and reward.”

Madala Ramakrishna renowned exhibitor says “Multiplexes already operate on a 50-50 revenue-sharing model with distributors. We’re simply asking for parity. With over 1,300 single screens across the Telugu states, our survival is essential for the industry’s health.”

An exhibitor shared "The exhibitors’ struggle isn’t new. Last year, nearly 400 theatres in Telangana shut down for 10 days starting May 17 due to mounting losses. “It costs us ₹12,000 to ₹18,000 a day to run four shows,” Another one explained “We’re earning just ₹3,000 to ₹4,000, and even then we have to pay the distributor. When we’re open, we lose ₹6,000 a day—when closed, we lose ₹4,000. We’re bleeding either way.”