This photograph taken on August 30, 2026 shows the interior view of the single-screen Phul Cinema in Patiala. India's single-screen cinemas have been steadily squeezed by multiplexes, streaming, rising property costs and the expense of maintaining ageing buildings and equipment. Researchers estimate that India had around 14,000 single-screen halls in the 1980s. Only around 2,000 remain today. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP via Getty Images)