Union Government has allowed Cinemas to open from October 15th with 50% Occupancy. There will be more SOPs in place so that the patrons are safe while watching the films. This news which may appear as a relief for the theater owner is not actually an end to all their woes.
Major challenges await for the Exhibition sector in the coming days. It is still doubtable if the producers will take the risk of releasing their films at least till late December given that the theaters will operate only at 50% occupancy and further, there is no guarantee that the audience would come to watch the movies.
No notable films will mean no motivation for the audience to come to theaters. A few Bollywood and Hollywood films may release in the next two months. This period will be testing time to see what will be in store for the Sankranthi season. Single Screen Theaters are unlikely to open at this stage.
Already the ticket prices are low in both the Telugu states and with a 50% limit, they are already in the Red Zone. Also, there will be several overheads like sanitization, etc. The Revenue from the Food and Beverages is crucial for any cinema owner but that is going to take a big hit as people will be wary of consuming outside food.
Except for Multiplexes, the rest of the theaters are likely to remain closed at least until the Christmas season. The onus is on the audience who come to the theaters to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and reducing contacts to keep themselves safe and instill confidence in the reluctant audience.
