The Coronavirus pandemic lockdown has affected the cinema industry so badly that hundreds of cinemas may never reopen now. The losses suffered by cinemas due to the two lockdowns have been back-breaking, especially for single-screen cinemas which were not doing too well even before the pandemic.
It will require a concerted effort on the part of everyone and all the sectors of the film industry to get it back on track. The Zee group is one such group which is doing all it can to revive business in the cinemas. One may recall that when cinemas had been allowed to reopen after the first lockdown, it was Zee which released the first film, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, in cinemas. Zee took a big risk because it was evident, people would not be returning to the cinemas in full force due to the fear of contracting the Coronavirus. Yet, Zee did not shy away from bringing the film to the cinemas rather than premiering it on OTT. In December 2020, Zee released Solo Brathuke (Telugu) in cinemas in Andhra and Telangana. Now, once again, Zee is leading by example. It has announced the release of its Punjabi film, Puaada, on August 12 in North India. This would be the first star-cast Punjabi film to hit the screens post-reopening of cinemas after the second lockdown.