Theatres in Kerala to reopen in October? – Times of India

Cinema halls in Kerala are likely to reopen in October. If reports are to be believed, the government might soon give a nod to reopen the theatres in Kerala and if so, the theatres will resume functioning from October second week. As the government has lately given permission to reopen schools, it is expected that the cinema halls might also be considered soon. Movies that aren’t made on a massive budget will be heading to the screens first and big-ticket releases will follow, once the theatres attract an ample audience. Movies like ‘Ajagajantharam’ and ‘Star’ might be some of the initial films to hit the big screens. Big-ticket releases like Dulquer Salmaan starrer ‘Kurup’ and Mohanlal’s ‘Aaraattu’ might follow.

Meanwhile, the theatres had reopened in Kerala, in January, this year, after the first wave of Covid-19, with 50 percent occupancy, however, the second wave followed, forcing the government to go into a complete lockdown.

The coronavirus pandemic has severely affected the entertainment sector, and Malayalam cinema was no different. Although the industry tried to ward off the pandemic blues with direct OTT releases, massive budget films including Priyadarshan’s National award-winning film ‘Marakkar: Arabikkadalinte Simham’ are yet to be sorted. The release date of the Mohanlal starrer magnum opus was postponed several times, but the pandemic left the makers no option but to wait patiently.

Jayasurya starrer ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’ became the first mainstream Malayalam film to release directly on OTT. Initially, producers from M-Town expressed strong disapproval on direct OTT releases, fearing that the cinema halls would get less traction if movies go the OTT way. As the pandemic situation continued and worsened, many A-listers’ including Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Fahadh Faasil went for direct OTT releases. OTT or cinema halls is still a heated discussion, but the hope of reopening theatres is indeed a sigh of relief for M-Town.