IS IT TIME FOR BOLLYWOOD TO UNITE AND DEMAND REOPENING OF CINEMAS AMID UNLOCK?
Some stars are already supporting the revival campaign
With every Unlock announcement, the cinema exhibition sector waits with bated breath to get a green light for resuming operations, but even after four such phases, the doors of cinemas still remain shut. And while the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) and various other theatre bodies have been constantly making rounds of various ministries with detailed SOPs, they haven’t succeeded in getting necessary approvals so far.
Many Bollywood celebrities such as Abhishek Bachchan, Boney Kapoor, Richa Chadha, Anurag Kashyap, Manoj Bajpayee, Suniel Shetty, Anubhav Sinha, among others, have taken to social media to extend their support for the demand, as well as to appeal the government to #SaveCinemasSaveJobs.
“There is zero income for six months and the expenses are mounting. Every filmmaker and actor needs to speak out now because this is the industry that has made all of them who they are. They are now getting the fat pay check from the OTT platforms because of what they have achieved (through) numbers at the box office in the past,” shares film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi.
As many as 20 lakh jobs are at stake and many are now questioning how this can be ignored by the same people, whose films are exhibited in cinemas. “This is an absolute inhuman situation. There has to be certain level of sympathy, empathy or logic,” says Shibasish Sarkar, CEO of Reliance Entertainment, who is aggressively batting on social media for reopening of cinemas
Talking about the same, he says, “What else can you do, you have to probably create a momentum of the whole issue. I think the focus has to be on keeping this momentum going and see how the word reaches the decision makers.”
Filmmaker Milap Zaveri also calls for Bollywood stars to weigh in their support to the sector, by doing something similar to what Hollywood star Tom Cruise did, by sharing a video of his movie going experience in London. “I hope big
stars also do the same. I really wonder why they have kept quiet for so long,” Zaveri says.
Outlining the significance of the ‘theatre experience’ Vinod Bhanushali, from T-series, says, “We have a habit of going to theatres, it is like a celebration for people. The big stars and producers are surely missing this part of having their films released on the big screen. They have to definitely explain this to the government but we have to keep in mind the Covid condition. With the amount of cases increasing, it needs to be taken into consideration.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan feels that stars do have a pull and influence and their word will hold a lot of weightage. “In the past also we have seen that when the film industry, and by that I mean — the actors and filmmakers — unite and makes an appeal to the government, it has worked, so why not now?” questions Mohan.
@ABHISHEK BACHCHAN
Can’t wait... The cheering, clapping, whistling and dancing. Best place on Earth!