Earlier today, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which will be followed by the film and TV crews on the sets. The government has given green signal to film shootings with the prescribed safety precautions.
However, the minister has not said anything about the reopening of the movie theaters across the country. Already, exhibitors have suffered hundreds of crores of losses due to the closure of theaters during and after the lockdown.
With the number of COVID-19 positive cases on an all-time high rise, the centre also seems to be in a dilemma about giving permission to reopen theaters even with 50 percent capacity. Until recently, there were reports that single screens and multiplexes will reopen in the first week of September. However, that is not the case as of now. Will the cinemas reopen before the Diwali festive season or not is the question that’s on everyone’s mind now.