KOCHI: The year so far has not been good for those associated with the film industry. Be it those in the lower rungs or those at the top, the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt them a major blow. Theatre owners had pumped money into infrastructure without getting any returns. For them, 2020 is a black mark in their ledgers. “Times are tough,” said M C Bobby, secretary, Film Exhibitors’ United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK). “We see no respite any time this year. Well, it will be safe to say that 2020 is over for us in financial terms,” he said. 

According to him, even if the government gives the go-ahead for theatres to reopen, they don’t have any films ready for release. “Shootings were cancelled in the pandemic’s wake. The government has allowed shooting to resume, but with restrictions. So by the time the shoot is over, the film canned and all set for release, the year will draw to a close,” said Bobby. According to him, even if any film is ready, it is doubtful whether people will throng theatres. 

“Everyone’s scared. They don’t want to be the next victim of the virus and hence will avoid crowded places. You can see this happening right now. But come what may, we theatre owners continue to incur losses daily,” he said. There are 670 screens in the state. “And every day, the combined amount that we spend to keep the theatres’ operation ready is `20.1 crore. The amount is spent  not only on maintenance work that has to be carried out but also to pay salaries for the staff,” said Bobby. 

The projection system needs to be taken care of every other day and they have to be run for at least half-an-hour to keep them from getting all jammed up, he added. “The theatres are all air-conditioned and hence are prone to fungal growth if kept closed for long.  Hence, we have to throw open the doors of the halls daily. Besides this, we have to pay our employees,”  Bobby said, adding, “Filmmakers need theatres and good cinema always gets viewers. So we are not worried that people will switch to online platforms completely. Certain movies need the ambience provided by theatres to make an impression”.

  Real figures

Total screens in state: 670*
Amount to keep theatres’ operation ready per day:  
G20.1 crore
*As per M C Bobby, secretary, Film Exhibitors’ United Organisation

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