Pyre's Haldwani shows reduced from 13 to one, director Vinod Kapri questions cut

Vinod Kapri questioned why Pyre's daily shows in Haldwani fell from 13 to one. The reduction came despite strong local demand and ticket sales surpassing Mumbai.

In Short

• Delhi leads ticket sales, with Dehradun emerging as second-biggest centre
• Haldwani ranked third while Mumbai stood eighth in reported figures
• The hill-set film found strong resonance among audiences across Uttarakhand

Filmmaker Vinod Kapri has raised concerns over the limited theatrical screenings of his film Pyre, pointing out that several towns have either lost their shows or have been left with just one screening despite a strong audience response.

In his latest social media post, Kapri highlighted the situation in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, which he said was the film's third-biggest centre after Delhi and Dehradun. He claimed that the film, which initially received an encouraging response from audiences in the town, was now left with just one show a day.

Sharing his concern, the filmmaker wrote, "Ironically, Haldwani - PYRE’s third-largest centre after Delhi and Dehradun, which gave the film an extraordinary response in its first week, with 12–13 shows a day, is now left with just ONE SHOW!"

He also referred to a report by Bollywood Hungama that highlighted the film's performance in Haldwani, where it reportedly sold more tickets than Mumbai for the first time. Kapri questioned why audiences were not being given enough opportunities to watch the film despite the response.

"The audience has spoken loud and clear. The question is, why aren't they being given more opportunities to watch the film? HALDWANI DESERVES MORE SHOWS," he added.

Vinod Kapri says Pyre has no shows in some cities

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Kapri spoke about the film's declining screen count across several locations. He pointed out that Pyre no longer has screenings in cities such as Nainital, Pithoragarh and Bareilly.

He also expressed disappointment over the situation in Haldwani, where the number of daily shows has reportedly fallen from 12–13 in the opening week to just one. According to the filmmaker, the town had responded particularly well to the film, making the reduction in screenings difficult to understand.

"My concern is that many important centres for films, like Pyre, for example, Nanital, we don't have a single show there. Haldwani, there were something around 12 to 13 shows in a day. Now there's only one show of Pyre, only one show. Pithoragarh , there is no show. Kotdwar, there is no show," he said.

“So, at least, in cities where there are no shows, we should get at least one show each. I mean, we’re not making a very big demand. We’re not asking for 10–12 shows or even four shows. They are expecting at least one show. And in cities where only one show is currently happening, there should be at least two or three shows. So, that’s all we are asking for," the filmmaker added.

Kapri's concerns come after Pyre received attention for its box office performance, reportedly outperforming several October releases, including Tu Hai Meri Kiran and Prem Keetanu.

Haldwani sells more tickets than Mumbai

The film's performance across different centres has also thrown up an interesting trend. While Mumbai is generally considered an important market for Hindi films, Pyre has found a stronger audience in parts of Uttarakhand.

Delhi has emerged as the film's leading centre in terms of ticket sales, followed by Dehradun. Haldwani has secured the third position, while Mumbai stands at eighth place, according to a report by Bollywood Hungama.

The response in Uttarakhand could partly be linked to the film's setting and its connection with the region. With its story rooted in the hills, Pyre appears to have found a special connect with audiences in Dehradun and Haldwani.

Directed by Vinod Kapir, Pyre released in theatres on October 30, 2026.

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