Bollywood movies back at Mumbai theaters

Limits accompanying reopening of cinemas

MUMBAI, India — Movie theaters in entertainment capital Mumbai reopened Friday after more than 18 months of closure because of the coronavirus pandemic, the last of the many virus restrictions to go amid a decline in infections.

Theaters opened to half capacity, following the guidelines released last month, but struggled to lure the public back and mostly re-released earlier hits. Many shows were running with fewer audiences, movie ticketing portal BookMyShow showed.

To minimize the danger of the virus, only those with COVID-19 vaccination certificates or with a “safe status” on the state-run health app will be allowed to enter the theaters. Masks and temperature checks are mandatory and no food or beverages will be allowed inside.

Theaters elsewhere in the country are already running shows.

Mumbai city has been one of the country’s worst-affected by the pandemic but has reopened after a decline in both COVID-19 cases and deaths. Cinemas there, however, are among the last public places to reopen — a symbolic move in the country’s financial capital also known for its Bollywood film industry.

Every year, the $2.8 billion industry produces more than 2,000 films. Bollywood’s success over the years has embedded moviegoing into India’s contemporary culture and been a boon for the economy.

The restrictions imposed on movie theaters to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have hurt operators. But the industry is expected to rebound. Indian filmmakers have lined up major big-ticket releases ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, when sales peak and audiences flock to theaters.

The return to cinemas in Mumbai comes a day after India celebrated its 1 billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose. About half of India’s nearly 1.4 billion people have received at least one dose while around 20 percent are fully immunized, according to Our World in Data.

India witnessed a crushing coronavirus surge this year, but life has swung back to normal. Markets buzz with activity, foreign tourists are allowed again, and the country is gearing up to celebrate Diwali. In other global developments:

■ Russia reported a record high number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths as the country approaches a week of nonworking days aimed at stemming the surge in cases.

The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 1,075 people had died from the virus in the past day and that 37,678 new infections were tallied — the largest single-day numbers of the pandemic.

■ Ukraine’s coronavirus infections and deaths reached all-time highs for a second straight day Friday, in a growing challenge for the country with one of Europe’s lowest rates — about 15 percent — of vaccinated people.

Ukrainian health authorities reported 23,785 new confirmed infections and 614 deaths in the past 24 hours.

■ Unvaccinated people in Austria could face new lockdown restrictions if coronavirus case numbers continue to rise, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said.

In the past week, Austria has reported 20,408 new cases.

■ Sri Lanka announced plans to offer booster shots to front-line workers followed by seniors as the island nation gears up to further ease COVID restrictions.

Starting Nov. 1, workers in the health, security, airport and tourism sectors will start receiving a third dose of vaccine, said Channa Jayasumana, the state minister of pharmaceutical production, supply and regulation.

The Pfizer booster shots then will include those over age 60, he said.

Rajanish Kakade The Associated Press A man buys a ticket at a ticket counter in a movie theater Friday in Mumbai, India. The theaters had been closed for more than 18 months because of the coronavirus.