New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- Movie theatres are expecting increased footfalls and business from entertainment avenues, including cinemas allowed to remain open 24 hours following a Maharashtra government order in late September. This could help attract more working professionals to late-night shows and pave the way for similar strategies in other metros, benefiting cinema earnings by 25-30% if implemented well. The move, however, would require big-ticket, compelling movie content on a regular basis, exhibitors said. Further, manpower costs could pose a challenge.

In the past, big-ticket films such as Avatar have run early morning shows, but these have been rare exceptions.

"For years, we've wanted the flexibility to use our screens beyond trad...