Will theatres re-open in July ?
During the last few days, the number of COVID19 cases in the country is coming down drastically. Today (June 29), the number of new cases in the last 24 hours stands at 37,566 lowest daily new cases after 102 days. Recovery rate has increased to 96.87% according to Union Health Ministry. In many places, shops and malls have reopened as states continue to ease restrictions without the opening of cinema halls. And down south two weeks later on August 12, Mohanlals Malayalam period action drama Marakkar has announced an exclusive 3 weeks theatrical release in 600 odd cinema halls in Kerala! None of the states has given any assurance that theatres will reopen in July and experts are talking about a third wave and Health Ministry has announced a Delta Plus Variant a Variant of concern. So the trade is cautious and not making any firm commitments of the re-opening. As Ajay Bijli Chairman and MD of PVR told an online video platform: The second wave was a tsunami and it destroyed everything and everybody and has created a lot of confusion among mall developers and multiplexes. The second wave was worse from not just the part of business and overall humanity, but also for peoples confidence level. The multiplex majors are in no hurry to reopen cinema halls and value customers' health more. Meanwhile, sources have indicated that Delhi one of the worst-hit states in the second wave, is likely to reopen multiplexes by mid-July as malls are already operational. And once the Maharashtra government allows theatres to reopen in Mumbai, Bollywood content will start flowing. There is plenty of content in the release pipeline like Sooryavanshi, Satyameva Jayate2, Thalaivi, 1983, and a few others. Mumbai and Delhi territory brings in 60 % of the theatrical collections of Bollywood movies, and once they reopen others will follow. In Kollywood, there are nearly a dozen films in the medium and small category waiting for a theatrical release. Tiruppur Subramaniam, the chief of Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association said: We are hoping that state government will make an announcement on the opening of screens in the state shortly, now that malls have been allowed to open in Chennai and Chengalpet area where cases are low. I think if all goes well we should be up and running by mid-July. We are hoping to meet chief minister MK Stalin to seek concessions for reviving the industry by abolishing LBET (Local Body Entertainment Tax) and extend the validity of the C-form. License from one to three years. Subramaniam wants the government to allow existing single screens to be converted into multiple screens within theatre premises. The buzz is that a dozen Tamil films are waiting for theatres to reopen and there is no shortage of content. Films like Arun Vijays Borderr and Vijay Antonys Kudiyil Oruvan are eyeing an Independence Day weekend release on August 13. In Kerala all eyes are on Mohanlals Priyadarshan directed tentpole Marakkar, slated for an August 12, Onam-Independence Day big weekend. As per an agreement between the theatre and producers association the action-adventure will be screened in all the 600 odd screens in the state continuously for three weeks, with no other release during the same period. But the big question remains whether screens will be reopened by then in Kerala, which currently has the highest number of Covid cases on a daily basis in the country! Sreedhar Pillai