MUMBAI: The Central government on Sunday announced that cinema halls and theatres will be permitted to operate at 100% capacity from February 1. However, film makers and multiplex owners are awaiting a similar notification from the state government to restore normalcy to the trade, given that Mumbai is the heart of India's film industry.
So far theatres were allowed to operate with 50% patronage. Gautam Dutta, CEO of PVR Limited said, "We thank the I&B Ministry for allowing 100% seating capacity. India has done well to control the Covid-19 spread along with the large scale rollout of the vaccination. This move (to reopen fully) will give confidence to producers to release their films, and (encourage) audiences to return to the cinemas."
However, exhibitor Manoj Desai of G-7 Multiplex and Prakash Chaphalkar, secretary of the Multiplex Association of India pointed out that the Maharashtra government has not made a similar declaration yet.
Chaphalkar said, "The Centre's order is a welcome first step. BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have gone ahead and issued a photocopy order for their states. But unless Maharashtra permits 100% seating capacity, we cannot expect producers to draft a smooth rollout for their films. No film maker will release his product unless Mumbai reopens fully."
Chaphalkar expects Maharashtra to follow suit and permit full reopening 15 days after the Centre's order, which means slow resumption by end-February. He said, "A business that has been closed for a whole year can attain normalcy only once all cinema halls nationwide are uniformly allowed to operate at 100% capacity. In Mumbai, the full restoration of local trains for the public is also important. Even under the new rules, train commuters are not permitted to travel freely during peak hour which is a hurdle. Moreover, the prolonged lockdown closure has caused deals to be renegotiated between producers and distributors, between property owners and multiplexes. Once all these issues are sorted out, only then can screenings resume."
The multiplex association secretary pointed out that as yet, no new releases are scheduled before April 2 ('Suryavanshi'). "After 100% capacity is permitted everywhere, only then will film makers begin to announce release dates and book cinema halls. Multiplex owners also will resume operations after new releases are scheduled sequentially every week. Otherwise what will we do if there is a gap of three weeks after the first release?" Chaphalkar said.