Cinema halls have had no shows since the lockdown was imposed. And theatre owners, who were expecting to be given the permission to resume services under unlock 4.0, are disappointed.
Arun Kumar B.S, owner of Santosh Theatre, said it was high time that cinema halls were given a chance to resume screening. “When places of worship, hotels and even malls have been allowed to open, we should be given a chance,” he said. Mr. Kumar said if they are allowed to open, there are a few films, some of which were released just before lockdown, that can be screened. “They will keep the momentum going by the time new films come,” he said.
Uday Garudachar, owner of Garuda Mall chain, said theatres were “footfall drivers” in malls. “There are around 18 screens in the Garuda Mall chain and once it resumes, it will make a huge impact to the footfall in malls also,” he said, adding that they would abide by the government guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures in letter and spirit. “Of over 15 eateries at Garuda Mall in Bengaluru, not more than four are open as they are apprehensive. Once, cinema halls are open, the scepticism and apprehension will go away to an extent,” he said.
Veteran film-maker Rajendra Singh Babu said the sooner cinema halls are allowed to open, the better it was for the film fraternity and allied sectors. “Theatres need time to get back to normalcy and for people to start returning. Hence, they should be allowed to resume services as soon as possible,” he said.
A representative from a multiplex chain said the Multiplex Association of India had come up with its own strict SOPs, including staggered show timings and online-only ticket booking system. In a series of tweets, the association said the cinema industry too deserved a chance when aviation, metro, malls, wellness, and restaurants are allowed to open. “The industry is an inherent part of the country’s culture and economy, supporting millions of livelihoods,” the association recently tweeted.
Various theatre owners have repeatedly written to the government to waive electricity bills and property tax for cinema halls.
Producer, distributor and actor Rockline Venkatesh told The Hindu that he was mulling over starting an initiative where well-known actors promote all films so that it encourages people to come to the theatre.
