New Delhi, April 20 -- Southern India's formidable movie-going culture is facing a quiet reset. Even as the rest of the country added more cinema screens in 2025, the southern states saw a marginal decline, with single-screen theatres bearing the brunt amid tepid box office trends and rising real estate pressures.

A recent Ficci-EY report shows screen count in the southern region fell 1% year-on-year, compared with 3% growth across India. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka together lost over 100 screens, as ageing standalone theatres struggled with volatile footfalls, rising costs and competition from OTT platforms.

While trade experts argue that part of the decline reflects a structural shift-single screens being redeveloped into ...