Indian Indie Filmmakers Launch Statement On Lack Of Screen Access After 'Agra’ Gets Limited Slots

A group of around 50 leading Indian independent filmmakers, including Payal Kapadia, Rima Das and Nandita Das, have issued a statement demanding improved screen access for indie films at Indian multiplexes and other cinemas across the country.

The lack of screen access for independent films is an ongoing issue, although it has escalated since the pandemic, while the current campaign has been prompted by the experience of Kanu Behl’s Agra, which premiered at Cannes film festival in 2023 and finally opened theatrically in India on November 14.

The film, distributed by Mantra Luminosity, only managed to secure about 90 screens across the country, although Behl says there were bigger issues “about the timing and quality of screenings”.

Over the film’s first weekend, Behl urged audiences to call on the PVR and Inox multiplex chains (now a merged entity) to screen the film. “We’re being denied shows because of the so-called ‘big blockbusters’ and because small films ‘don’t fit into’ multiplex chain programming,” Behl said on social media.

“It’s up to you the audience now! Speak up and tag the chains. Say that you want to see the film. Spread the word. Or this will just go on and on. And the space for anything else other than mindless ‘infantilised cinema’ will disappear.”

The joint filmmaker statement, issued this week, highlights some of the structural problems faced by independent films, then calls for equitable showtimes, transparency in programming, independent film showcase cycles, public-private exhibition support and OTT acquisition parity (see more details below).

The statement has been signed by filmmakers such as Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine As Light), Ashim Ahluwalia (Miss Lovely) and Shaunak Sen (All That Breathes), who have all had films premiering at Cannes film festival.

Also putting their names to the statement are filmmakers who have had films at other major international festivals including Rima Das (Village Rockstars), Nandita Das (Firaaq), Chaitanya Tamhane (The Disciple), Alankrita Shrivastava (Lipstick Under My Burkha), Devashish Makhija (Bhonsle), Shonali Bose (Margarita With A Straw), Dominic Sangma (Rapture), Aditya Vikran Sengupta (Once Upon A Time In Calcutta), Q (Ludo, Tasher Desh), Honey Trehan (Punjab ’95), and Gurvinder Singh (The Fourth Direction).

The statement reads: “Over the last decade, Indian independent cinema has carried the country's creative identity to the world – premiering at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Locarno, Rotterdam and Busan. These films have expanded the idea of what Indian stories can be. They have been celebrated globally for their honesty, courage and craft. And yet, within India, these films continue to fight simply to be seen.”

The filmmakers say that problems faced by small and mid-budget films in India include limited screenings; morning-only or weekday-only slots; sudden show cancellations; a lack of transparency around programming decisions; and imbalanced prioritisation of big-budget releases. Streamers in India are also cutting back on acquisition of Indian indie films and paying less for rights.

The group of filmmakers, working across Hindi-language and several different regional cinemas, are calling on exhibitors, streamers, policymakers and cultural institutions to address the crisis with structural reforms. The five major solutions they call for are:

Equitable Showtimes
Guarantee minimum accessible show slots - including at least one post-6 PM screen - for all Indian independent films releasing theatrically.

Transparency in Programming
Publish the criteria for screen allocation across chains to ensure fairness and accountability.

Independent Film Showcase Cycles
Institutionalise monthly or quarterly indie cycles that allow discovery, visibility and audience-building.

Public-Private Exhibition Support
Partner with state-run cultural centres, art institutions and alternative screening venues to create a national circuit for independent films.

OTT Acquisition Parity
Establish pathways for independent films where theatrical performance is not the sole determinant for streaming acquisition.

The statement does not mention censorship, which has held back the theatrical release of other Indian titles selected for major festivals including Santosh and Punjab ‘95. Agra, the story of a sexually frustrated call centre employee living in a small town, contains sexual content, but Behl says this was less of a problem than screen access as the film was cleared with one shot cut and all profanities dubbed.

PVR Inox declined to comment when contacted by Streamlined.