#SHOWBIZ: Curtain falls on the romance of India's single-screen cinemas

Demolition has begun at Bengaluru's Urvashi Cinema, a 1,200-seat movie palace from the 1970s, marking another casualty of India's vanishing single-screen era. Manjunath, who recalls the theatre's glory days, now faces a lot of free time as the once packed shop opposite his residence is devoid of customers. Photographer Hemant Chaturvedi, who has documented 1,350 single-screen cinemas across 1,000 towns, notes the fading charm of these old halls.

Chaturvedi's photographs capture both the movie houses and their decaying facades, documenting the cultural landscape disappearing as cinemas are demolished or converted into multiplexes. India's single-screen cinemas have suffered due to multiplexes, streaming, rising property costs, and the expense of maintaining aging buildings and equipment.

India had around 14,000 single-screen halls in the 1980s, but only about 2,000 remain today. The decline has altered how Indians experience films, with new cinemas offering more amenities but lacking the charm of the old single-screen theatres. Despite restoration efforts in some areas, old cinemas still hold a dedicated following, with attendees appreciating the unique tradition of cinema.