Halls, film-makers laud ‘positive step’

KOLKATA: Without stressing on alternate seating, the state has allowed cinemas, along with theatre halls, manchas and auditoria to operate with 70% capacity. This effectively means viewers in Bengal can sit together and enjoy movies if they follow all health protocols.
Currently, Odisha, Delhi, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have allowed cinemas to operate with 100% capacity.However, cinemas in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala are still running with 50% occupancy.
“I am grateful to our government for this pro-industry move,” said Ratan Saha, chairman of the exhibitors’ section of Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA).
Shantanu Roychowdhury, the EIMPA treasurer and owner of Belgharia’s Rupmandir, said, “The livelihood of 20 lakh people — directly or indirectly — depends on cinemas in Bengal. The response to ‘Golondaaj’ came as a ray of light in the dark tunnel the pandemic has thrown us into. With this new order, we are expecting a better turnout for big Diwali releases like ‘Sooryavanshi’.”
Exhibitor-distributor Satadeep Saha said, “With 50% occupancy, Bengal had seen houseful shows for some movies during the Pujas. Cinemas are here to stay so all we need is good content.”
Regional director at INOX (East) Amitava Guha Thakurta, said, “It is a step towards normalcy. A group can now sit together. Once a ticket or tickets are sold, we will be leaving seats on both sides vacant,” he said.
Viewers are wondering if this order is an incentive for cinemas like Paradise, which closed down in March 2021, to consider reopening. Sunit Singh of Bengal Properties, which has another 30 years of lease of Paradise Cinema, told TOI, “We will take a decision in January 2022.”
Film-makers, too, are happy. Director Atanu Ghosh, whose ‘Binisutoy’ had run for 50 days at Nandan 1 after its release on August 20, said, “Each small step towards 100% occupancy is worth a celebration. Given the enthusiastic response we got for ‘Binisutoy’ only a month ago, there’s no apprehension regarding the eagerness of the audience to watch films on the big screen.”
Talks have started on whether or not producers will want to release the big Bengali movies that have been on hold or are being shot now. Producer Firdausul Hasan, who has Atanu Ghosh’s ‘Sesh Pata’ and Arindam Sil’s ‘Mahananda’ in post-production, said, “If the Covid situation is under control, I am hoping our government will allow 100% occupancy by Christmas. We are aiming for a release of both films in January.”