Film body urges CM to lift restrictions

Kolkata: The president of the Eastern India Motions Pictures Association (

EIMPA

), Piya Sengupta, has written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee to allow cinemas to operate with 100% occupancy. In the letter, Sengupta has cited the notification issued by Tamil Nadu government that has allowed the same.

“It is unfortunate that family members can dine together at restaurants but aren’t allowed to sit together and watch movies. This occupancy restriction is preventing many good movies from getting released. That’s also a reason for viewers not turning up at the theatres. This is harming the fate of at least one lakh people directly or indirectly associated with

Tollywood

,” said Sengupta.

However, many medicos are not convinced. On Monday, internationally acclaimed clinician Faheem Younus, who is the VP/Chief Quality Officer/Chief of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and has been regularly sharing

pandemic

tips on Twitter, was asked on Twitter about Tamil Nadu’s decision. His reply was: “Cinema theatres are poorly ventilated, indoor, crowded, prolonged exposure settings. I cringe at the thought of opening theatres without complete control over the viral spread. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.”

Reacting to this, exhibitor-distributor

Satadeep Saha

said, “There are no reports of spread of the pandemic due to

cinema

screening. Many malls have food courts and auditoria with similar air-conditioning on the same floor. While the food courts are operating with full capacity, cinemas have restricted occupancy. While airlines, buses and metros can operate with full occupancy without complete control over the viral spread, it is strange that cinemas are facing the brunt.”