Marathi releases postponed after govt directs Maha cinema halls to stay shut till March 30

Following the state government’s directive asking cinema halls to remain shut at least till March 30, the film industry has either pulled out films already in theatres or

postponed

those that were supposed to

release

this month. In Bollywood, the makers of Sooryavanshi pushed its release. On the other hand, Angrezi Medium, which released on Friday, has been pulled out and, as per a statement by director Homi Adajania, will be re-released when ‘it is safe to do so’.

With no option left, Marathi releases too have followed suit. The screenings of three

Marathi films

that released this Friday —

Vijeta

,

AB Aani CD

and

Ibhrat

— have been stopped, and the releases of at least three films have been postponed.

The makers of AB Aani CD posted a statement on their social media pages announcing that they were postponing the shows of the film to a further date when the situation is better. Speaking to us, the film’s producer Akshay Bardapurkar shares, “Public safety is of prime importance and that’s why we have no problem in pulling out the shows of our film. At the same time, we are prepared to re-release the film on any Friday after the govt deems it fit to reopen cinema halls. I am sure the audience will shower love on the film even then.”
Amol Shetge, the director of Vijeta, which too released on Friday, shared similar sentiments, saying prevention is better than cure. “It’s not just about the safety of moviegoers but precautionary measures are important for everyone to control the spread of COVID-19. Yes, a lot of planning and monetary expenses go into the release of a film, but no business is more important than someone’s health, especially when we are talking about public health amidst the coronavirus outbreak,” said Amol.

Can’t compromise on public safety for business, say filmmakers
While these two films had to bear the brunt just a day after their release, the other film that were to release later this month have also willingly backed out. Niraj Anand, producer of Ajinkya, which was to release next Friday, shared, “We were expecting a decision like this, but our promotion was ongoing and preplanned. However, as soon as we were informed of the govt’s decision, we put plan B in place and ceased further activity. Our film’s release was also pushed because the cinemas will be shut till March 30 at least. There will be monetary loss, but this outbreak was unforeseen and above all, we cannot compromise on someone’s health in times like these.” The film’s director A Kadir added, “We hope the situation comes under control soon. Even after that, we will need to evaluate the market situation and plan our release accordingly because all postponed films will be looking for releases as soon as possible.”

The makers of Neighbours too released an official statement announcing the postponement of its release. On his part, Subhash Ghai, who has produced Vijeta, said, “The entertainment industry has and will stand with the citizens in times of crisis. My loss in withdrawing the film is nothing compared to the health of my audience. It’s time we all exercise caution and follow the preventive measures laid out by the World Health Organisation (WHO). When we all are out of danger, I am sure movies will be there to provide entertainment.”

Makers agree that they will incur monetary losses but reiterate the public safety concern. “Akshay shared, “Our promotion budget for the next 8-10 days will see a considerable addition for activities before the re-release of AB Aani CD, but it’s something we can’t shy away from.” Amol added, “The effect of coronavirus has already slowed the economy. Businesses will suffer, but what needs to be done, needs to be done. The better option is to unite and find a way out.”