National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri has announced that screenings of his independent Hindi film Pyre will be doubled across cities from Friday, November 13, following audience support.
In a video message, Kapri said the film would also be screened in several cities where it had not been scheduled earlier. He thanked audiences for their support and acknowledged distribution partners PVR INOX and Cinépolis for understanding the team's concerns and backing the film.
The announcement comes four days after Kapri alleged that Pyre had lost nearly 75 per cent of its theatrical shows amid the release of Ramayana: Part 1.
Kapri alleged 75% of ‘Pyre’ shows were cut
On November 7, two days after the release of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1, Kapri shared a video on X alleging that screenings of Pyre had been sharply reduced after theatre owners and distributors were instructed to prioritise a particular film, even if other screens remained vacant.
According to Kapri, Pyre began its theatrical run with around 80 shows across 80 screens. Audience support subsequently helped the film expand its reach, with screenings increasing to more than 400 within three to four days of its release.
However, the filmmaker claimed that at least 75 per cent of its shows were withdrawn over the two days preceding his post, leaving the film with fewer than 100 screenings across the country.
Kapri said theatre owners and distributors had allegedly told him they were directed to screen only one particular film. He questioned why a big-budget release should come at the expense of other films, particularly when screens remained available.
Highlighting Pyre's limited budget of around Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore and its cast of non-professional actors, Kapri said the team had invested considerable effort and emotion in the project.
THIS IS NOT FAIR. NOT TO #PYRE. NOT TO ITS AUDIENCE. https://t.co/FYadN0dQXT
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) November 7, 2026
He appealed to theatre owners and distributors to give independent productions a fair opportunity to reach audiences, arguing that films attracting viewers should be allowed to continue their theatrical run rather than being removed to accommodate another release.
