What’s in store for cinemagoers once theatres open in Maharashtra post October 22? – Times of India

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray made an announcement on Saturday that enabled the theatre and film fraternity to breathe a collective sigh of relief. He shared, “Theatres and auditoriums in Maharashtra will open after 22nd October 2021 while observing all COVID safety protocols. SOP is in the works and will be declared soon.”

Due to the pandemic, like most businesses, cinemas took a massive hit and were desperately hoping to resurrect. Maharashtra being a major film consuming market, this news comes as a blessing for multiplex chains, film exhibitors, single screen owners and producers. A few members of the film fraternity like Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios and Director-Producer Rohit Shetty met the Chief Minister of Maharashtra to discuss the reopening of the theatres across Maharashtra.

Now that the news is out, cinemagoers may wonder what’s in it for them post October 22nd. The answer is — ‘DUNE’. Warner Bros’ much awaited epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve will hit the Indian screens nationally on October 22. While no Hindi film is on the cards yet, the new announcement can shuffle a few Hindi releases as many have been scrambling for release.

An industry insider said, “Dune is a big Hollywood film that was to release in India on October 22 anyway. With Maharashtra easing up the restrictions, it will only help the film get a bigger market. However, the CM has said that the theatres will open ‘after 22nd October’ and not on 22nd so we need to wait for further clarity on this.” Tom Hardy starrer Venom 2 (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), which is slated for October 15 release in India is theatres is also likely to play in the state the next week. A Quiet Place Part II which has opened to rave reviews abroad will release in India on October 8 so that will also be available to play.

The insider adds, “While Dune has announced the date already, we still have almost a month to go, so more films are bound to release around October 22. Yash Raj’s Bunty Aur Babli 2 may also jump in the fray. November first week will see Rohit Shetty’s much delayed Sooryavanshi finally opening in cinemas. The director has confirmed, “And FINALLY!!! We can say, This DIWALI… AA RAHI HAI POLICE…”

Will theatres bounce back from the business perspective? It will take a while. Our source explains, “It’s also about how many screens will actually open post October 22. Few multiplex chains haven’t been able to pay the debt they owe to the malls. That needs to be sorted first. Single screens can play the Hindi dub of big Hollywood releases but they will truly benefit from a Hindi commercial entertainer. The content will have to be strong enough to draw the viewers in, away from the comfort zone of their homes, while keeping the Covid protocols and safety measures in check.”