After filmmaker Vinod Kapri objected to his film, Pyre’s, shows being given to other films, the shows have now been restored. Confirming the news about his independent project, the director announced in a fresh Instagram video that his film has “finally secured screenings across the country.”
Speaking to us about the status of the shows, which were previously negatively impacted by the release of Ramayana, Kapri adds, “Yes, that issue is sorted, it stands resolved. I also posted it as everything is getting into place now.” Confirming that the film is finally getting its due space in theatres, he adds, “Yes, from Friday we are getting the shows.”
Sharing etails on whether the release spans across India, the filmmaker reveals, “Yes, across India. And in fact, we are adding more shows than before.”
When asked about the one-week delay and whether an earlier resolution could have helped preserve the film’s initial buzz, Kapri admits, “Yes, I mean, the momentum broke a little and it impacted me. I had to come forward in my earlier video to take up the issue; I can’t say much. This is how things work here, maybe.”
Asked if independent filmmakers are left with no choice but to speak up publicly to be heard by exhibitors, Kapri reflects on his first-time experience navigating distribution, saying, “I don’t know because this is the first time I’m handling distribution also, so I was more worried about it. Especially during the day, the shows were going well and we were getting the crowd. But as it’s said, all’s well that ends well, so now everything is sorted. I think, for me, this chapter is closed now.”
{{/usCountry}}Asked if independent filmmakers are left with no choice but to speak up publicly to be heard by exhibitors, Kapri reflects on his first-time experience navigating distribution, saying, “I don’t know because this is the first time I’m handling distribution also, so I was more worried about it. Especially during the day, the shows were going well and we were getting the crowd. But as it’s said, all’s well that ends well, so now everything is sorted. I think, for me, this chapter is closed now.”
{{/usCountry}}During the row, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) also stepped in to extend its support to the filmmaker. Speaking about the intervention and the broader struggle faced by independent films, AICWA president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta says, “We intervened on Wednesday by officially emailing the top 20 theatre owners across India to ensure regular shows for the film nationwide. We also wrote to the Information and Broadcasting Minister (Ashwini Vaishnaw) to formulate a policy so that big films don’t eat into smaller-budget films. A film like Pyre, which went from 80 to 400 shows and had the potential to reach 2,000 screens, shouldn’t be pulled down arbitrarily.”
Earlier, Kapri had shared an emotional video on Instagram flagging that Pyre was struggling to get shows amid major releases—an appeal that sparked widespread conversation around the challenges smaller, content-driven films face in securing theatrical space.