Multiplex gets green signal, the cloud of apprehension on the silver screen

It is often said that the show must continue under any circumstances. But in the last six months, we have got an idea of ​​how many shows can be interrupted. After the cinema hall has been closed for almost half of the year, the Central Government has finally permitted to open it. But the easier it is to say this, the more difficult it is to implement.

Although theaters have welcomed the Home Ministry's decision to lift the ban and allow theaters to reopen from October 15, their fight is set to continue. Seven states have not yet given their consent to the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Maharashtra has already indicated that it will not allow the reopening of the cinema hall in October. The state has extended the lockdown to the end of the month. Industry sources say that other states like Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are yet to clarify their stand.

PV Sunil, managing director of the multiplex chain Carnival Cinema, says, “We are in discussion with the representatives of these states. We are hoping that between now and October 15, a total of these states will review their decision. The concerns related to Covid 19 will remain.

The Multiplex Association of India said in a statement that getting permission from all the states would go a long way in helping the film show business to offset the financial impact caused by the Covid-19 epidemic which is estimated to be Rs 1,500 crore a month.

Out of 9,600 screens in India, 70 percent are single screens and 30 percent are multiplex screens. But multiplexes make up more than half of the country's theaters and are under pressure to ensure that safety, hygiene, and content-related standards are met. "Another challenge will be to get new film material in October," says Karan Taurani, vice-president (research), Elara Capital. Experts say that Maharashtra, for instance, accounts for 20 percent of PVR and Inox's total revenue. Both are among the major multiplex operators with a nationwide presence.

Filmmakers are also not in a hurry to release films in the October-November period, which means that this quarter will help theater owners, multiplexes or single screens more. Films like 'Suryavanshi' starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, 'Lal Singh Chadha' starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, and 83 starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are likely to be released in the December quarter. But Suryavanshi may be the only major film to be released in this quarter although some experts say it may be released at the end of 83 years.

Single screen crisis

The coming week is finding it difficult for single-screen theaters as they struggled to preserve their existence even before and after the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Sanjay Hiralal Vasava, consultant at the Edward Theater on Kalbadevi Road in Mumbai, recalls, “We have come a long way from the era of Housefull when people used to buy tickets even in black. It was opened in 1914 and named after King Edward V who visited Mumbai that year and is one of the oldest theaters in the city. '

He says, 'Multiplexes will be competing to release Suryavanshi. There is also a shortage of films at this time. Apart from this, the problem is that instead of going to theaters to watch the film, people also have the option to watch a six-hour web series on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. He further states that movie theaters have to run after producers and distributors.