Pyre Gets 200 More Shows as Film Workers' Body Seeks Probe Into Screen Cuts After Ramayana Release

Vinod Kapri's independent Hindi film "Pyre" will add more than 200 shows from Nov. 13 after its screen count fell following the release of "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend." The All India Cine Workers Association has asked I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for an inquiry and a fair screen allocation policy.

Nov 12, 2026 - 10:13

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"Pyre," filmmaker Vinod Kapri's independent Hindi drama about an elderly couple in a Himalayan village, will return to more cinemas across India with more than 200 additional shows from Friday, Nov. 13, Kapri announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The announcement came the same day the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) said it had written to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking an inquiry into the film's loss of screens after the Nov. 5 release of "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend."

"Over 200 shows of Pyre are being added from Friday, 13th November," Kapri wrote on social media. "A heartfelt thank you to our audiences for standing by this little independent film and making this possible. Your love, trust and support have brought us back to more screens." In the same post, he thanked cinema chains Cinepolis and PVR Cinemas for supporting the film, India Today and The Indian Express reported.

A Screen Count That Rose, Then Fell

"Pyre" opened in Indian theatres on Oct. 30 in a limited release. Kapri has put the opening figure at around 80 screens, according to The Indian Express and India Today, while the BBC reported his account of a 70-screen release. Kapri said the film, made on a budget of about Rs 2.5 crore, then expanded to roughly 400 screens on the strength of word of mouth and full auditoriums.

In an interview with India Today, Kapri said screenings in Delhi grew from around 11 to 13 on the first day to nearly 70 by the fifth day, and that by the sixth day the film was playing in approximately 355 theatres. After "Ramayana" arrived in cinemas, he said, the film's presence dropped to around 70 to 75 screens, even though nearly 90 percent of its shows were running houseful. Kapri has said the film lost approximately 75 percent of its screenings within days, falling to fewer than 100 screens.

Kapri had earlier posted a video message on X in which he said exhibitors and distributors had been told that only one film would run in theatres. "I urge theatre owners and distributors to not do this with Pyre. If you have spent a lot of money, then we have spent our soul in making a film. We deserve a fair chance," he said, according to ABP Live. Kapri did not name the competing film in the video, ABP Live reported, though his remarks came shortly after the release of Nitesh Tiwari's "Ramayana."

"Ramayana: Rise of a Legend," starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, collected Rs 511.10 crore nett in India in its first seven days, according to trade tracker Sacnilk figures cited by India Today, and played across 24,239 domestic shows on Wednesday alone.

What the Workers' Association Is Asking For

The AICWA letter, signed by association president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, sets out five demands, according to The Indian Express, News18 and ABP Live: a fair screen allocation policy for Indian cinema from the central government; a grievance redressal mechanism to protect independent and small-budget films; an impartial inquiry into why the "Pyre" screen count was reduced despite a positive audience response; FIRs against theatre owners and distributors found guilty after that inquiry; and the maximum possible screens and shows for "Pyre" while the inquiry is underway.

Gupta wrote that the association was not opposed to the larger film. "I do not oppose Ramayana. It is a large-budget film that has given work to hundreds of workers, technicians, junior artists and artists across every department. It should succeed, so that producers profit and workers are paid on time," he wrote. "But a big film's success should not come at the cost of a small film that audiences are already embracing."

The letter also argued that small-budget films make up the largest number of films produced in India each year and give new talent its first opportunity. "Their producers raise money with great difficulty and wait years to reach theatres, where they get very few screens," Gupta wrote, adding that when a film that is working is removed, "small producers will stop making films, new artists will lose their chance, and lakhs of workers will lose employment." He cited "HanuMan" as an example of a smaller film that found a large audience. A response from the ministry had not been reported as of Thursday.

About the Film

Written and directed by Kapri, a National Award-winning filmmaker and former television journalist, "Pyre" is set in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand and follows an elderly couple waiting for their son to return as their village empties through migration. The lead roles are played by first-time actors Padam Singh Kapri, 80, the director's uncle and a retired Army serviceman, and Heera Devi, 70, according to the Hindustan Times. The film's score is by Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna, with lyrics by Gulzar, NDTV reported.

The film has screened at international festivals since 2024 and has won 18 awards, according to Kapri, including three for best feature and 12 audience-choice best film prizes, the BBC reported. He told the BBC that the film nevertheless spent two years without a distributor and that streaming platforms passed on it before a producer friend funded its theatrical release.

India Today reported that "Pyre" has crossed Rs 2.5 crore at the Indian box office. Its distribution team has confirmed a release in the United States and the United Kingdom on Dec. 11, 2026, and the makers have submitted the film for consideration at the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs, according to the same report.