Theatre owners keen to reopen cinemas by Dussehra weekend

Theatre owners in India are very much keen to reopen cinemas this October by Dussehra weekend. Cinemas across the country have been shut for over five months now, due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. And as such, the Indian theatre business has lost box office worth Rs 3,000 crore as cinemas have remained shut since the month of March.

Girish Johar, film trade and exhibition expert, believes that even if theatres reopen, there is no content for the people. He was referring to the fact that most of the Bollywood films have already been acquired by OTT video streaming platforms. Despite this, film trade members, cinema and multiplex owners in northern and southern India have met senior officials of the home, and information and broadcasting ministeries separately. They have been assured of a feedback in the next couple of days.

The film industry has its hopes up high on the festive season starting with Dussehra and Diwali. Sunil N Narang, secretary of the Telangana Fim Chamber of Commerce and managing director of Asian Cinema Theatres, said they have requested the government to allow them to reopen cinemas with 50 per cent capacity. “Their main concern, as of now, is the seating of people in closed auditoriums where the virus spreads faster at a time when the number of cases is on the rise,” he said. Representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala industries revealed their huge losses to the officials. They are desperate to reopen by October 1.

Amit Khare, secretary I&B ministry had last week at the Global AVGC Summit for the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said that the reopening of cinemas was a priority for the government as well. Khare said standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cinemas were ready and were waiting for clearance by the home ministry. He also added that theatre owners, in the past, had gone overboard by announcing reopening dates before the government’s official confirmation.