RUNNING ON EMPTY

Even though he was expecting a “small opening”, Sanjeev Bijli, joint managing director of PVR Ltd, was disappointed when he heard the collection figures for October 15.

- Suhani Singh

On that day, cinemas had reopened after seven months, but at only 50 per cent seating capacity and screening old films. For the moment, Bijli has pinned his hopes on West Bengal where producers released new titles in time for Durga Puja, a sought-after release window in Kolkata’s film calendar. Satadeep Saha, director of SSR Cinemas, which has 13 theatres across West Bengal, had 10 fresh Bengali titles when he opened on October 21. “We haven’t yet had to cancel shows, which is reassuring,” he says. Of the new Bengali titles, Bijli and Saha picked Dracula Sir (which earned around Rs 40 lakh over a five-day run) and SOS Kolkata (Rs 30 lakh) as the biggest draws, bringing film buffs back to theatres.

Cinema operators in Gujarat, Delhi, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh have also opened for business, but are running older releases like Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, Section 375, and Thappad—all available on OTT platforms. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Kerala have still not given cinemas permission to reopen. “The fundamentals of this business [require] the whole country to open,” says Bijli. “We are all looking forward to an announcement on a further unlock on October 31.” Theatre operators hope to get the nod from the remaining states in time for Diwali, but the festive season is certain to be a dull affair. Unless theatres in Maharashtra, more specifically Mumbai, reopen, it is unlikely any top studio will announce revised release dates for their films. “I am hoping that after Diwali, some Hindi producers will release their films, [even] if not the big ones,” says Bijli.