Film industry upset at 50% limit on seating

Producers, exhibitors feel they have become a ‘soft target’ when it comes to COVID-19 restrictions

The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to restrict the occupancy at theatres to 50% to curb the spread of COVID-19 has frustrated the stakeholders of the film industry. The restriction was announced a day before the release of the Dhanush-starrer Karnan, which is directed by Mari Selvaraj, on Friday. The film has already received critical acclaim. Actor Kangana Ranaut’s Thalaivi, to be released on April 23, has been postponed. Producers and exhibitors feel the industry has become a “soft target”, especially after political parties mobilised large crowds for election rallies without worrying about precautions. Tiruppur Subramanian, president, Tamil Nadu Multiplex and Theatre Owners Association, is upset at the decision, like many others in the industry. “The government and the media seem to believe that COVID-19 spreads only at cinema theatres and not on trains, buses and aircraft, and at political rallies. In fact, at a theatre, people just sit with their mask and do not interact much, unlike in a textile showroom or a jewellery shop,” he says. With the government imposing more restrictions, the theatre owners will not be in a position to continue paying their staff, he points out.