The Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce has announced that the theatres in Kerala will reopen on January 13, with Tamil movie ‘Master’, starring actor Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and Malavika Mohanan. Kerala theatres had been closed for over nine months and were set to reopen on January 5.
The decision to reopen the theatres was taken at a meeting of the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce officials in Kochi after the state government decided to address the KFCC's main demands and concerns. On Monday, the Kerala government had announced that it will waive entertainment tax for cinemas from January to March 2021 along with 50% reduction in the fixed charges on electricity during the lockdown period since March last year, to help the film industry in the state recuperate.
Kerala Film Chamber officials said the state government has addressed all their concerns and they were grateful to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the special interest he took in the matter.
Giving its nod to reopen cinemas, the government, on January 1, had said theatres could reopen on January 5, with 50% occupancy and adhering to strict COVID- 19 guidelines. Only 50% of the seats should be occupied or only half the tickets should be sold, the government had said, adding that the Health Department's COVID-19 protocol should be strictly followed. But the theatre owners had refused to reopen theatres, demanding support from the government, including fee waivers by the state government.
After Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced tax waiver, many Malayalam actors, including Manju Warrier, Mohanlal, Mammootty and Dulquer Salmaan, had hailed the CM and the state government for the boost given to the film industry.
KFCC Vice President Anil Thomas told TNM that the state government has made it possible for theatre owners to resume operations without incurring major losses. The entertainment tax up to 8.5% from the sale of movie tickets, was levied on theatres in 2019 to compensate for the loss of revenue incurred by the state due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Watch video: Trailer of 'Master'