Maharashtra Government has confirmed that it has no plans of opening the theaters any sooner much to the delight of the OTT players. There are rumors that theaters in the state are re-opening from October 1st but the state’s Home Minister says there is no chance given that the cases are increasing in the state.
“The reports about theaters reopening in October is not true. COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra are on the rise again, which is a cause of concern for us. People’s safety is first for the government,” Aslam Shaikh, the state’s Gaurdian Home Minister told to a media house much to the disappointment of Bollywood.
Maharashtra is a major market for Bollywood films and the situation there is the reason for Hindi films not releasing. The industry is hoping that the theaters will re-open from October 1st and the biggies can target Diwali release.
This is a big news for OTT Platforms and now more films will be looking at Direct-to-OTT release in the near future. There is also a chance for panic selling and the OTT industry would love to fish in troubled waters.
