New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- As multiplexes in big cities celebrate premium-format hits, hundreds of single-screens across India ask-where have the mass entertainers gone? For, much of this year's theatre business has been driven by films geared toward premium urban audiences, leaving independent theatres and small-town cinemas struggling for footfall.

Exhibitors say hits such as F1: The Movie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and even Saiyaara played largely to metro crowds, and that the period drama Chhaava, released in February, remains the only true pan-India blockbuster. With operational costs mounting, many are now looking to early 2026, when mass-market sequels like Border 2 finally land.

Films skewed towards urban audiences de...