Pyre gets 200 shows back in India after losing screens to Ramayana
Vinod Kapri's independent film lost most of its screens when Ramayana opened, prompting a cine workers' body to appeal to the government.
More than 200 shows of Pyre, an independent film directed by Vinod Kapri, are being added in cinemas across India, Hindustan Times reported. The film had lost most of its screenings after the big-budget Hindi film Ramayana was released.
According to Hindustan Times, Pyre opened two weeks ago on 400 screens. That number fell below 100 after Ramayana reached theatres last week. The paper put the cut in shows at 75 to 80 per cent, while NDTV reported that the film had lost 75 per cent of its shows.
Kapri alleged that theatres had dropped his film even though its shows were houseful, and he appealed for fairness. The All India Cine Workers Association supported him and wrote to the Information and Broadcasting Minister asking for intervention, Hindustan Times reported.
NDTV reported that the association said it was not against big-budget films. It argued that smaller productions should be given a fair opportunity in theatres.
Pyre is set in the Kumaon Himalayas. It follows Padam Singh and Tulsi, an ageing couple who live together while they wait for their children, who have moved away in search of better opportunities.
Neither of the two leads had acted before. Padam Singh Kapri, 80, is a retired Army serviceman and plays a character with his own name. Heera Devi, 70, plays Tulsi. Hindustan Times reported that both live in Uttarakhand and had never faced a camera before the film, which was shot entirely in the state's mountains.
A release cited by Hindustan Times said the film has won 18 international awards. Fifteen of them are Best Film awards from festivals and events in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Canada, Spain, Boston, Stuttgart, London and Birmingham.
Kapri announced on social media on Thursday that the film was returning to more screens. "PYRE IS GETTING ITS SHOWS BACK!" he wrote. He thanked audiences "for standing by this little independent film" and thanked Cinepolis and PVR Cinemas for supporting it. He said the extra shows would begin on Friday, November 13.
Sources: Hindustan Times, 200 shows added for Pyre after row, director Vinod Kapri thanks audience for ‘standing by little film’; NDTV, Pyre Loses 75% Shows After Ramayana Release, Cine Workers' Body Seeks Fair Screen Allocation.
