Hubli: In the middle of the spike COVID-19 In late 2021, triggered by the Omicron strain of the novel coronavirus, the state government was forced to make some tough calls, among which was the decision to limit occupancy Theater up to 50. The decision disappointed the entertainment sector in the state, which had only then started raising hopes of recovering from the blows of the first two waves of Covid-19. The government’s decision to allow cinema halls to be fully occupied has been welcomed with great joy by the movie buffs and all the stakeholders in the sector.
The state government’s decision to lift the ban on occupancy in cinemas has cleared the way for the release of several films. big budget movies, which have not been able to hit the screens due to the recurrence of Covid-19. When full occupancy was allowed in cinemas in September, several films, whose releases were put on hold waiting for a more favorable environment, hit the screens – these included ‘Salag,’cotigobba 3‘, ‘Badawa Rascal’ among others.
Although the producers were lubricating the post-production machinery in anticipation of their films’ release in December, third wave Covid-19 forced him to stop his preparations. North Karnataka has always been a lucrative market not only for Kannada films but also for Hindi cinema, and the government’s decision has given new hope to stakeholders in the region. RR Odugoudar, president of the Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation, told TOI, “Theatres and cinema hall caused a lot of damage global pandemic, Night and weekend curfews were another blow, while the decree stipulating 50% occupancy landed us in trouble. ,
Odugoudar said that the number of cinema halls in northern Karnataka has come down by more than half. “There were 1,250 cinema halls in the area in 2014-15, but now there are only 500 to 550 of them. Many cinemas have been forced to close after the outbreak of the pandemic. Theater owners and others involved in the film business suffered losses of up to Rs 2 crore daily due to the closure of cinemas,” Odugodar said, expressing the makers’ hope of releasing their films in the next few weeks.
John Sasavihalli, manager of Apsara Cinema in Hubballi, and KC Patil, who is involved in booking at Sangam Theater in Dharwad, said that, in the absence of big budget films, they were showing dubbed films and low budget films, which were Running to clear the crowd.
“Now we are gearing up for the release of much awaited films like ‘RRR’.KGF 2‘, ‘Radhe Shyam’, etcetera are starting from March. The decision to allow full occupancy is welcome, and it sends a positive message. This will encourage more and more people to come to the theatres. Of course, we will strictly follow the safety protocols,” he said.
The state government’s decision to lift the ban on occupancy in cinemas has cleared the way for the release of several films. big budget movies, which have not been able to hit the screens due to the recurrence of Covid-19. When full occupancy was allowed in cinemas in September, several films, whose releases were put on hold waiting for a more favorable environment, hit the screens – these included ‘Salag,’cotigobba 3‘, ‘Badawa Rascal’ among others.
Although the producers were lubricating the post-production machinery in anticipation of their films’ release in December, third wave Covid-19 forced him to stop his preparations. North Karnataka has always been a lucrative market not only for Kannada films but also for Hindi cinema, and the government’s decision has given new hope to stakeholders in the region. RR Odugoudar, president of the Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation, told TOI, “Theatres and cinema hall caused a lot of damage global pandemic, Night and weekend curfews were another blow, while the decree stipulating 50% occupancy landed us in trouble. ,
Odugoudar said that the number of cinema halls in northern Karnataka has come down by more than half. “There were 1,250 cinema halls in the area in 2014-15, but now there are only 500 to 550 of them. Many cinemas have been forced to close after the outbreak of the pandemic. Theater owners and others involved in the film business suffered losses of up to Rs 2 crore daily due to the closure of cinemas,” Odugodar said, expressing the makers’ hope of releasing their films in the next few weeks.
John Sasavihalli, manager of Apsara Cinema in Hubballi, and KC Patil, who is involved in booking at Sangam Theater in Dharwad, said that, in the absence of big budget films, they were showing dubbed films and low budget films, which were Running to clear the crowd.
“Now we are gearing up for the release of much awaited films like ‘RRR’.KGF 2‘, ‘Radhe Shyam’, etcetera are starting from March. The decision to allow full occupancy is welcome, and it sends a positive message. This will encourage more and more people to come to the theatres. Of course, we will strictly follow the safety protocols,” he said.
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