Telugu film industry roots for 100% occupancy in theatres

Hyderabad: With Tamil Nadu permitting 100% occupancy in theatres, relaxing Covid norms, the Telugu film industry too has asked Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments to remove the 50% occupancy norm.
After the Unlock 5.0, the Centre had relaxed lockdown norms and said up to 50% occupancy could be allowed in theatres, which were the last to be allowed to open with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place Telugu Film Producers Council (TFPC) has written to AP chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao and pointed out the decision taken by Tamil Nadu on January 4 to permit 100% occupancy in view of the decrease in number of Covid cases.They urged the government should consider the request of the council in view of the problems faced by single theatres and multiplexes as they had been shut for several months.
TFPC honorary secretaries T Prasanna Kumar Reddy and Mohan Vadlapatla, in the letters written to AP and Telangana governments, on Tuesday said 100% occupancy would help theatres and multiplexes meet necessary expenditure for their maintenance. The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, the umbrella body of the film industry, has also asked for permission for ‘full theatre occupancy’ in view of the Sankranti season as ‘film watching’ is a part of the celebrations.
Film chamber president Narayandas Kishandas Narang said in a letter to CM K Chandrasekhar Rao that screening of films had completely stopped in March 2020 due to the pandemic. He said theatres had opened after the state government allowed 50% occupancy.
“Our revenues come only at the point of release of a film. With theatre capacities presently at 50%, it is unviable for any film to run successfully. Many theatres have since not operated as they will have to incur expenditure and producers are apprehensive to release their movies due to the uncertainty,” he said.