Making no attempt to hide his displeasure over the government’s new rule on 50% occupancy in cinemas, actor-director Duniya Vijay on Sunday said that probably the government was under the impression that film people were spreading the virus.
Mr. Vijay, who was in Hubballi for the promotion of his directorial debut Salaga, said that he did not understand the rationale behind reducing occupancy in cinemas, while political rallies where thousands of people took part without any precautionary were allowed to continue.
“In cinemas, a few hundred people are allowed that too after thermal screening and ensuring that they are wearing masks. Nobody understands this rationale and no one is happy with the 50% rule. But it is the decision of the government we have chosen. We have to abide by the rule,” he said.
Mr. Vijay, who is also a fitness freak, took exception to the restrictions on gymnasiums. “In a gym, there are hardly 25 people, which has come down to 15 post-pandemic. And,, they want to close them,” he said.
However, he said that efforts were on to talk to the government and convince it of the need to allow full occupancy. “It is not just about a film producer or film stars. There are hundreds of people who are working in the industry and whose life depends on it. The government should also think about their survival,” he said.
Concurring with him, Dolly Dhananjay, who plays the role of another protagonist in the film, said: “There is no vaccine for hunger, but a disease can have one”.
No release
Film producer Soorappa Babu, whose film Kotigobba 3 is due for release, said that while they were hopeful of resolving the issue by April 20, they had decided to put off the film release till 100% occupancy was allowed in cinemas.
Producer of Salaga, K.P. Srikanth said that considering the new rule, they had put off the film release, which was due now. “We have already seen how the new rule has affected the Yuvaratna team. We hope the issue will get resolved. But we will wait till the rule is rolled back,” he said.
The Salaga team is touring the State, hosting cricket tournaments at various places as part of film promotion.
