India's film industry grapples with theatrical window debate.

India's film industry grapples with theatrical window debate. The question: should movies stay in cinemas for four weeks or eight weeks before streaming? Universal Pictures has set an eight-week global standard, and South Indian theatre owners are pushing for alignment. Studio executives argue the window should depend on a film's box office performance and theatrical potential, while exhibitors advocate for predictable, longer windows that benefit the entire ecosystem. Cinepolis India's head of commercialization notes that audience certainty matters—viewers need to know how long a film will be available theatrically to justify ticket purchases. The challenge remains balancing producer revenues, distributor interests, exhibitor needs, and streaming platform demands across India's diverse multi-language market where a uniform approach may prove impractical.