Coronavirus leaves thousands jobless as cinema halls remain shut

Theaters are still closed due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of increasing cases of Corona across the country. COVID-19 pandemic has affected most of the businesses and industries. However, slowly the life is becoming normal after unlock was announced, multiplex theaters are still locked and millions of people connected to the theater have lost their jobs.

Ahmedabad:The center and the state governments have eased restrictions and declared step by step unlock with the guidelines, but multiplex theaters, schools and colleges have not been started yet. There are more than 250 multiplex theaters in Gujarat but for last six months they are shut due to the pandemic. Thousands of people employed, directly or indirectly in multiplex theaters have been laid off and they are still jobless.

Rakesh Patel, a member of the Gujarat Multiplex Theater Association, said that Corona pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has cost the operators of the multiplex theaters an estimated Rs 250 crore loss from March to June. Now it is mid September and still no sign of business coming back, causing further losses and hardship.

Many new films were lined up for theatrical release for coming peak season of summer vacation, but that had to stop as the center had declared lockdown in the month of March to check the spread of the virus. Revenue has been lost since the lockdown was announced at the same time as the peak season.

In a conversation with ETV Bharat, Neeraj Ahuja, general manager (operations) of the city's Wide Angle Theater, said that despite the closure of multiplex theaters, the owners had to bear the regular costs such as maintenance expenses, electricity bills etc. It was difficult to meet all these expenses without regular revenue.

He added that, they had to take care of properties and also to look after the staff. “So we kept some of the staff on the duty and paying their salaries. But we are not in such a financial condition where everyone can be kept employed. We demand and hope that the government would allow multiplex theaters to open, with adequate safety measures, as they are facing an economic crisis.”