CHENNAI: After eight months of COVID-19 lockdown, theatres are set to reopen on Tuesday. However, new movies will not be screened for the near future due to an ongoing standoff between the theatre owners and movie producers. The theatres would be re-running old films.
Tamil Nadu Government on November 1 announced that theatres could resume with 50 per cent seating capacity. The theatres have also been asked to display COVID-19 precaution awareness during the movies.
Following the announcement, the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA) announced that there will be no new Tamil releases until the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) charges demanded by digital service providers are taken care of by the theatre owners.
In response, the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association said that they have no other option but to keep the theatres shut and that theatre owners are willing to have a discussion with producers only after six months. In view of this, the theatres would not be running new films.
Meanwhile, some of the big names such as the AGS groups and Mayajaal are likely to open their screens on Tuesday.
The theatres need to follow the Standard Operating Produces such as ensuring mandatory mask wearing, touch free sanitizers must be installed, every one be thermal screened, seating must be arranged with social distancing norms and disinfection of the hall after every show.
There are more than 1,000 screens in the State with an estimated daily revenue of Rs 8 crores. Few theatres in the city such as the Agasthya downed their shutters permanently due to the pandemic incurred loss. Reopening of theatres is expected to give a boost to the industry.