Movie industry excited over reopening of cinemas in Telangana
Theatre owners say there is a good response from patrons at the ticket counters
Hyderabad: Cinema theatre owners and the movie industry are excited over the governmental nod for reopening of entertainment establishments after the prolonged closure caused by the second wave of Covid-19. Curtains will be up on the silver screens on Friday.
Theatre owners say there is a good response from patrons at the ticket counters. Though the movies releasing on Friday are low-budget, advance bookings are satisfactory. Telangana is the only state allowing total seating capacity in the theatres while some states are allowing 50 per cent of occupancy and a few others are yet to decide on the opening of theaters.
Theatre owners said the halls were totally sanitised and Covid protocols would be strictly observed. Vanka Laxmiah Sridhar, owner of the 621-seat VLS Sridevi, Chilkalguda, and vice-president for Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce, said, “Reopening is like a festival for us. The government decision allowing single-screen theatres to collect vehicle parking charges is welcome. We expect that the government will soon announce a waiver of the minimum-demand charge for electricity and a rebate on property tax.”
“More than 200 tickets have been booked in advance for the shows on Friday. This is a good response for a low budget movie. People are showing interest in watching movies on the big screen,” he added.