Mysuru: For most single-screen theatre owners the pandemic was the final nail in the coffin.
With uncertainty surrounding the business, drop in footfalls and lower ticket prices, the livelihood of thousands of employees too hangs in balance. In Mysuru, theatres will stop screening movies from Friday.
Unable to recoup from the losses suffered in the last two years, owners of single-screen cinema halls have decided to shut shop temporarily from January 21. Owners of Gayathri, Rajkamal, Sangam and Sterling theatres have taken a decision to this effect. The government’s decision to run cinema halls with only 50% seating capacity has come as a big blow.
Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation state vice president MR Rajaram said that there are 587 theatres in Karnataka, including eight in Mysuru. “They all are likely to stop screening movies due to the prevailing situation,” he said. Producers and distributors are not coming forward to release movies due to restrictions in seating capacities. Screening movies for only 50 % of viewers as per state government directive is not enough to sustain, he explained.
Prior to the pandemic, there were 636 theatres in Karnataka including 14 in Mysuru. Many theatres closed down, as they could not cope with the lockdown fallout. “In the initial days of the pandemic, we ensured full salary to all our employees and during the second wave we managed to give 50% of the salary to all our staff. Just when we thought the situation was improving, the weekend and night curfews were imposed forcing us to take this call,” Rajaram added.
In Mysuru, seven out of eight theatres will stop screening from Friday while one theatre screening a Kannada movie has said they may continue to operate for a few more days.
Each theatre has around 12 to 25 employees in Karnataka depending on the size of the theatre.
With uncertainty surrounding the business, drop in footfalls and lower ticket prices, the livelihood of thousands of employees too hangs in balance. In Mysuru, theatres will stop screening movies from Friday.
Unable to recoup from the losses suffered in the last two years, owners of single-screen cinema halls have decided to shut shop temporarily from January 21. Owners of Gayathri, Rajkamal, Sangam and Sterling theatres have taken a decision to this effect. The government’s decision to run cinema halls with only 50% seating capacity has come as a big blow.
Karnataka Film Exhibitors Federation state vice president MR Rajaram said that there are 587 theatres in Karnataka, including eight in Mysuru. “They all are likely to stop screening movies due to the prevailing situation,” he said. Producers and distributors are not coming forward to release movies due to restrictions in seating capacities. Screening movies for only 50 % of viewers as per state government directive is not enough to sustain, he explained.
Prior to the pandemic, there were 636 theatres in Karnataka including 14 in Mysuru. Many theatres closed down, as they could not cope with the lockdown fallout. “In the initial days of the pandemic, we ensured full salary to all our employees and during the second wave we managed to give 50% of the salary to all our staff. Just when we thought the situation was improving, the weekend and night curfews were imposed forcing us to take this call,” Rajaram added.
In Mysuru, seven out of eight theatres will stop screening from Friday while one theatre screening a Kannada movie has said they may continue to operate for a few more days.
Each theatre has around 12 to 25 employees in Karnataka depending on the size of the theatre.
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