COVID-19 lockdown to force 1000 plus cinema halls to shut down all over India?

According to various reports, many theatres might close as an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Without any help from the government or the film Industry, cinemas might not survive until the end of the Unlock phase. As many theatres are already shutting down, the month of October may not be soon enough to save the theatres from running out of business. 

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Many cinema halls have already shut 

Theatres are now in their fourth month of the shutdown and even with the lockdown being eased, re-opening of screens seems like a distant dream. Rumours and unconfirmed reports point out that cinemas might open from October but that's too far a date. As many cinema owners can no longer afford to pay rent, maintenance charges, staff salaries and more without revenue, many of them are already shutting down. Iconic cinema halls like Shanthala and Padma in Mysuru, and Maharani in Chennai have already shut down. 

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Reportedly, it is being said that almost 200 to 350 cinemas in India have been forced to shut down already and by the end of October, the number can rise to 1000+. Other reports suggest that the cinemas will feel the blow even after opening in October and can still run out of business because the expenditure will run higher than the income for a while. 

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Gaiety-Galaxy's executive director Manoj Desai talked about how paying the GST Tax, property tax, BMC tax and electricity charges should ideally be removed or exempted for the moment, in an interview with a media outlet. If rumours are to be given weightage, Regal Cinema in Colaba has always been just marginally managing to stay afloat and can run ground due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well. Theatre owners are in need of support from the Film Industry. 

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In these last few days, a rise in movies releasing on OTT platforms is being seen which is due to the theatres being shut. This will reportedly make the situation worse and will hamper the business of various cinema halls. The makers of Gulabo Siatbo had run into some problems over this recently due to their decision to release the film online rather than to wait for theatres to re-open.  

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