We told you a few days back that the I & B Ministry has recommended the Union Home Ministry to think about reopening cinema halls in August. Later Trade expert Komal Nahta also confirmed that there are talks of opening theatres from August 1. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many movies have been reshuffling their release dates while others took the digital route. We spoke to our Trade Expert Girish Johar to know what reopening of cinemas on August 1 would mean for the industry. While he feels it is a positive move, it has to be seen how audiences react and which big movie makes it first. I & B Ministry Recommends Reopening Of Theatres In August, Cinema Owners Not Happy With 25% Capacity

Johar says, "I am very happy and elated if the cinema halls are opening. It shows that things are coming back to normalcy. I understand there may be some curbs and guidelines that audiences need to follow. I am waiting for the Government's announcement. The only thing that we need to see as producers is that it opens pan-India. Big releases can only happen if cinemas open everywhere in India. Producers can ignore the overseas revenue pie for a moment but they will definitely not want to lose out on domestic revenues as well."

Cinema owners at the CII Media Committee meeting last Friday weren't too kicked about the 25% capacity rule. Explaining it better, Johar says, "The cost of running a cinema would be the same. In fact, I believe it will go up. Now you can't have staggered show timings. You need to have a sufficient gap between shows, cleaning, medical precautions, all this will entail cost at the end of the day. So the cost is increasing on one side and on the other, the revenue opportunities are getting restricted. Also, it needs to be seen how many people are coming to the theatres ones when they open. Even if audiences do go to the halls, they might avoid buying food there. Those are the revenue opportunities the theatres lose out. But I feel it's good to start with something."

The next big money-earning event for movies is Independence Day which could come in handy if the theatres reopen. But Johar isn't sure if big movies like Sooryavanshi would hit the theatres so soon. "It can't be hurried. They waited so long, so you have to take a calculated call," Johar opines. He also mentions how re-releases like Baaghi 3 and Joker could help in gauging how audiences are taking the reopening of cinemas.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 27, 2020 06:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).