Archive · 24 Jan 2026
India's Vanishing Picture Palaces: The Decline of Single-Screen Cinemas
A photographer named Hemant Chaturvedi took pictures of old movie theaters in India called single-screen cinemas.
These theaters were special places where people went to watch movies together, like on family outings or first dates.
They had beautiful designs and were important gathering spots.
Over time, these theaters started to close because big multiplexes in malls became more popular.
Now, there are very few single-screen cinemas left.
Hemant's photos and a documentary show how these theaters were more than just places to watch movies; they were places where people shared emotions and memories together.
The exhibition of his work is in New Delhi until January 25, 2024.
Cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi documented over 1,400 single-screen cinemas across India.
Single-screen cinemas were social spaces that fostered collective memories and emotions.
The decline of these cinemas began with the rise of multiplexes in the late 1990s.
From nearly 24,000 single-screen cinemas in 1990, India now has less than 2,000.
The exhibition 'India's Vanishing Picture Palaces' is on display until January 25, 2024, at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.
- Who
- Hemant Chaturvedi, a cinematographer and photographer
- What
- The decline of single-screen cinemas in India and the cultural impact of their disappearance
- When
- The exhibition is on display until January 25, 2024
- Where
- India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
- Why
- To document and raise awareness about the vanishing single-screen cinemas and their cultural significance
- Photographer
- Hemant Chaturvedi
- Number of Cinemas Documented
- 1,400
- Exhibition Name
- India's Vanishing Picture Palaces
- Exhibition Location
- India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
- Documentary Name
- Chhayaankan
- Documentary Timeframe
- 1962-2012
- Single-Screen Cinemas in 1990
- 24,000
- Single-Screen Cinemas in 2024
- Less than 2,000