India, July 17 -- The eulogies of theatrical cinema in India have been written every decade. First, it was the VHS boom that threatened it. Then it was cable television. And the newest Boogeyman is the streaming world. But theatres are still alive, at least in India, where housefull boards may have become less common, but they haven't vanished. And as Niharika Bijli, Lead Strategist at PVR INOX, argues, the success of re-releases alone is proof that theatres are here to stay.

We meet Niharika on the sidelines of the grand re-release of Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan. Many in the audience saw it in theatres for the first time ever. Talking about the re-release, Niharika says, "We can't take solo credit for this at all. Something like this is a...