Maharashtra govt allows cinema halls to reopen from November 5

In a major relief for the entire film industry, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government on Wednesday gave permission to reopen cinema halls in the state starting November 5th.

The screens will have to follow the Covid-19 SOPs, in line with the ones issued by the central government, along with a 50% cap on the occupancy.

“It’s a big positive for the entire film industry and we would like to thank CM Uddhav Thackeray and the state government for allowing us to reopen,” Kamal Gianchandani, president of the Multiplex Association of India (MAI), told ET.

He added that the move will make a lot of film producers feel confident in releasing their films.

While the central government had allowed resumption of film screenings from October 15th, only 19 states and union territories had allowed the cinema screens to open. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were among the two biggest markets which had not allowed the operations, due to high number of Covid-19 cases.

The state government said in an order that cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes and drama theatres will be allowed to function outside containment zones only. It also added that eatables will not be allowed inside the auditoriums.

Thanking CM Thackeray and state’s culture minister Amit Deshmuksh, Inox Leisure director Siddharth Jain tweeted that he is looking forward to the big screens lighting up once again!.

Akshaye Rathi, film exhibitor and distributor who owns 17 single-screen properties in Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, tweeted, “Finally, the moment we have waited for! Cinemas in Maharashtra are permitted to commence operations from tomorrow with 50% occupancy and detailed SOPs will be issued soon. A step towards the resurrection of the film exhibition sector.”