Multiplexes and single-screen cinemas in Telangana have been permitted to reopen, of course, at 50% capacity only. The Telangana government issued the order for reopening yesterday (23rd November), making it possible for cinemas to restart operations forthwith. “After careful consideration of the matter, it is hereby decided to permit cinemas/theatres/multiplexes to reopen with upto 50% of their seating capacity in areas outside the containment zones only, with immediate effect,” reads the order issued by the Telangana government. It specifies that safety measures and sanitisation protocols, like face masks and sanitisers at various points, and social distancing will have to be taken care of.
It may be mentioned here that a delegation, led by Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna, called on Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao recently and sought government help for Tollywood which has suffered huge losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the chief minister has promised a slew of relief measures to support film business as part of his party’s poll manifesto for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) election. These include:
(i) waiver of minimum demand charges for HT (High Tension), LT (Low Tension) category power connections for cinema theatres across the state;
(ii) help to small-budget movies, assistance to films made with a budget of under Rs. 10 crore by way of state GST reimbursement;
(iii) permission for all theatres to increase number of shows and revise ticket charges as in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi.