Delhi unlock brings hope for movie distributors, theater owners
What's the story
Movie theaters in Delhi are going to operate at 50% capacity from Monday and this is being seen as a good sign for film distributors and cinema hall owners.
The complete shutdown of theaters and significantly reduced movie releases over the past year badly hit the business of many entertainment industry sectors.
Now, people are hopeful Maharashtra will follow suit and reopen theaters soon.
Order
Official order says Delhi theaters can run with half capacity
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Saturday issued an order regarding the Delhi unlock strategy.
.It said that starting July 26, COVID-19 restrictions will be further relaxed as the number of daily new cases and active cases declined greatly in the national capital.
The order specified that cinemas, theaters, and multiplexes will be allowed to reopen and these can run with half capacity.
Reaction
Exhibitors hope cinema hub Maharashtra reopens theaters soon too
Delhi's decision has been welcomed by distributors/exhibitors across the country.
"We truly hope that Maharashtra, which is considered to be the home state of the Hindi film fraternity, now follows suit," Akshay Rathi, an exhibitor from Maharashtra, told BollywoodHungama.
He added reopening cinema halls would give them the chance to "earn their own bread" as they have been struggling practically without any economic relief.
Details
Hopes are being pinned on films like Akshay's 'Bell Bottom'
Industry professionals are also bidding upon major upcoming releases like Bell Bottom to bring the industry out of this gloom.
"If Mumbai is allowed to open up in August the theatres will be back. The Akshay Kumar-starrer Bell Bottom is expected on 15 August if theatres in Maharashtra open up," a distributor in Bihar, Kishan Damani, told the portal.
Information
Maharashtra halls might reopen in August
To recall, makers last month boldly announced the Kumar-led espionage thriller will be released in theaters on July 27.
Following this, big releases like Sooryavanshi, Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR, the untitled Anniyan remake, and Attack were also expected to get big-screen launches.
However, Maharashtra saw the tightening of curbs again thereafter, creating uncertainty.
Now, it's expected that Maharashtra theaters will reopen by August first week.