With the Central government deciding to keep theatres shut during Unlock 3.0, Tollywood distributers have welcomed the decision and said that they are willing to keep the theatres closed amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Earlier, they had opined that it's not viable to run the theatres given the restrictions of 25-30% occupancy, as proposed by the theatre association previously.
Speaking to TNM, K L Damodar Prasad from Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) said that current conditions are not favourable for reopening of theatres.
“The coronavirus cases are showing an increasing trend, and people would not be ready to come to theatres to watch a movie. And it would not be viable for us to run those theatres with restrictions as it would only lead to losses,” he said.
Govind Raju, owner of Sudharshan theatre in Hyderabad, welcomed the government’s decision to keep theatres shut for now. “We are hopeful that the theatres might open gradually. If not August 1, then it might be September 30, at some time theatres would open. As the cases are increasing, the government may have taken everything into account and come to this conclusion,” he said.
Govind Raju had earlier tried seat distancing measures at his Sudharshan theatre in the city which went viral on social media. However, several other theatre owners feel that it cannot be the solution in the long term.
Theatre owners also said that it would not be profitable for the theatre owners, if they run with such less attendance, while parallelly investing on sanitation and other measures.
The Central government in its recent release announced the activities permitted in Unlock 3.0. However, certain activities have been restricted even outside the containment zones along with the theatres, which include metro, educational institutes, parks, swimming pools.