Theaters to open in October - New conditions revealed

 

From October, the theaters will be given permission to open and curtains to go up. The Central Government after a series of meetings with the stakeholders – multiplex chains and the big production studios of Hollywood  that operate in India and with a few Bollywood- biggies has drawn a blueprint.

In the first round of unlocking of theaters across India, the multiplexes alone will be allowed to open. They will screen only Hollywood films and Bollywood films. They will have to sell  tickets for  only 50 % capacity .. All standard operating procedures for COVID prevention will be followed. Food and drinking water will be sourced through reputed eateries that have a tie-up with food delivery aggregators.  Ticket rates cannot be increased to cover the loss due to less seat capacity.

Reason for Hollywood and Bollywood films given permission is that the first category is not a big puller at box office and hence crowds coming in huge numbers are not going to take place. Second category is the Hindi films. There is no Star film awaiting release and only small independent production houses are having films to release.

This phase will have a shift in November. All single screen ones whose owners that have deep pockets in the rural and semi urban areas will open. These too would follow 50% capacity and COVID SOP procedures. This would bring in regional films in large numbers to the screens. The December unlocking is to do away with cap on seating capacity and follow only SOP procedures. This however has a rider. If any rise of outbreak of Covid takes place and origin is a movie theater, the seating cap will be back or shift to total lockdown of movie halls. State Governments will take a call on bringing back lockdown of theaters.

The Dusshera season and puja holidays will be the first chance for movie halls to put things in order. In November, if nothing happens that point fingers to movie halls, then Deepavali will see the regional biggies back on screens.  By Christmas – New Year, it should be business as usual. Movie lovers should now hope that it is not subjected to any fresh `Act of God” .