Theatres function with 100% occupancy: Is it the end of the two-year catastrophe?

After suffering immeasurable losses over the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, cinema houses, after running in fits and starts, were finally permitted by the government of India to operate with 100% occupancy in Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Needless to say, it brought a wave of joy and relief to people across the film fraternity.

Producer Amar Butala believes that the upcoming line-up of films like Bachchhan Paandey and Runway 34 will bring in a large number of audience to theatres. “It’s a welcome sign for both producers and the exhibition sector, now that major theatrical markets for Hindi language films now are at 100%. This period also has two big extended holiday weekends of – Holi and Eid – which will mean more footfalls in cinemas,” he explains.

BH Basha, an exhibitor based in Karnataka, believes that the complete opening up of theaters in south India is particularly happy news and anticipates that the release of pan-India films like RRR, Radhe Shyam and Etharkkum Thunindhavan will help improve the financial state of the exhibition sector: “It’s true that all five states in the south immensely contribute to film business. But my fear is that people have stopped wearing masks, thinking that the pandemic is over. In a situation like this, I can only hope that 100% occupancy status of theatres continues.”

Rajender Jyala, CPO, Inox Leisure Limited, is confident that 2022 will prove to be one of the biggest years for the film and exhibition industries. “We always thought that we can recover losses but this is the fastest recovery we’re witnessing. Maharashtra theatres being allowed full occupancy is a great sign since it’s a territory that contributes the most to film revenues,” he says.

For producer Anand Pandit, the pandemic proved to be a dampener for the movie-going audience too. He adds, “We’ve already had a few blockbusters since theatres began to open and every exhibitor, distributor and producer is hoping that the pandemic does not throw another spanner in the works to impair the progress that has been made.”