IT IS SHOWTIME AGAIN, FOLKS

Theatres, auditoriums to reopen from October 22 in Maharashtra; state Govt to release SOPs soon; needs to be seen whether halls operate at 50% or full capacity

Cinema halls and auditoriums in Maharashtra will reopen from October 22 but strictly adhere to Covid19 protocol. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made this announcement after holding a meeting with the Task Force and representatives from the cinema industry on Saturday. New SOPs for the same will be announced soon.

“Theatres and auditoriums in the state will start operating after October 22. We are working out the SOPs and will declare them soon,” the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted. The associations representing cinema and drama theatres, multiplexes and auditoriums are expecting the government’s announcement in a day or two on whether they can operate at full capacity or 50 per cent.

There are 475 single-screen theatres and 400-plus multiplexes across the state and employ lakhs of people. Due to the closure of theatres since March, these employees have been badly hit.

The Multiplex Association of India (MAI), along with leading cinema chains like PVR and INOX, had appealed to the state government to reopen theatres on “urgent basis”. It had pointed out that the industry has suffered losses up to Rs 4,800 crore due to the prolonged closure.

“In one factors in the monthly loss of Rs 400 crore, the cinema exhibition industry has lost approximately Rs 4,800 crore since March 2020,” said the MAI in a letter to the CM.

MCA secretary Prakash Chaphalkar said the government has given them three weeks to restart multiplexes by putting in place the SOPs. “Multiplex operators will now get down to logistics, mobilization of employees and complete the necessary work for ticketing and revenue sharing arrangement with the distributors,” he said.