For much of the multiplex era, a long runtime was treated as a commercial compromise. Every additional minute meant one less show, tighter scheduling, and a smaller window to maximize revenue across the day.
But as Indian theatrical business becomes increasingly driven by event films rather than volume programming, that old equation is beginning to crack. The system is returning to where it was when it began.
That logic is now being challenged by the very films dominating the box office. From “Animal” (2023, 3 hours 21 minutes), “Pushpa 2 The Rule” (2024, 3 hours 20 minutes) and “RRR” (2022, 3 hours 2 minutes) to the recent ones like “Dhurandhar” (2025, 3 hours 34 minutes), “Dhurandhar: The Revenge” (2026, 3 hours 49 minutes) and “Border 2” (2026, 3 hours 20 minutes), Indian filmmakers are once again embracing the oversized theatrical epic. More significantly, exhibitors no longer seem alarmed by it.
The reason is straightforward. In the current theatrical economy, a packed show is proving more valuable than an extra empty one.
“The assumption that fewer shows automatically means lower revenue is outdated,” says Devang Sampat, managing director of Cinépolis India. “The question is never how many shows you can fit. It is how much demand each show generates.”
by Sonic_02