Blockbuster festive season

Shetty with Singh, Kumar and Devgn on Sooryavanshi’s set

It's finally showtime in Maharashtra after seven months of theatre shutdown. On Saturday evening, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that cinemas across the state would reopen from October 22. The decision came in the wake of an exhaustive meeting that was headed by Thackeray. The meeting was attended by filmmaker Rohit Shetty, PVR Pictures CEO Kamal Gianchandani, Inox Leisure Ltd CEO Alok Tandon, Carnival Cinemas CEO Kunal Sawhney, and Dr Jayantilal Gada of Pen Studios, among others.

Rohit Shetty with Sooryavanshi actor Akshay Kumar

With the news, a wave of cheer erupted among the exhibitors who have been bleeding dry since the first shutdown in March 2020. Soon, Shetty announced that his Akshay Kumar-led Sooryavanshi - that has been waiting in the wings since early 2020 - would finally hit the marquee this Diwali. That was cue enough for Bollywood to bring out its big guns. Ranveer Singh's sports drama 83 booked the Christmas window while Shahid Kapoor promised to arrive a week later with Jersey.

Also Read: Sooryavanshi, Annaatthe, Marvel's Eternals: The big Diwali box office clash!

A still from 83

Producer Aditya Chopra lined up four releases - while Bunty Aur Babli 2 will be a November 19 offering, Kumar's Prithviraj locked January 21, followed by Jayeshbhai Jordaar on February 25 and Ranbir Kapoor's Shamshera on March 18, 2022. Ahan Shetty's debut vehicle Tadap will be big-screen bound on December 3, and Kumar's Bachchan Pandey on March 4, 2022. Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha will now be a Valentine's Day 2022 fare.

Bunty aur Babli 2: Nov 19

Producer Anand Pandit, whose Chehre recently had a big-screen outing despite the shutdown in the Maharashtra circuit, is excited about the "blockbuster Diwali". He notes that filmmakers have wisely spaced out the releases so as to not eat into each other's business. "I am glad that the government, in its wisdom, decided to reopen theatres. The industry needs this revival. I don't see too many clashes since the industry understands that the return of audiences might be slow, and it would be best to avoid a situation where the [footfall] gets divided." Pandit will soon lock the release date of Thank God, starring Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh.

83: Dec 24

On the ground level, theatre owners are awaiting the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) from the CM's office. But they are relieved that the government finally took action on their multiple appeals to reopen cinemas. In their last letter, the Multiplex Association of India (MAoI) had reportedly stated that the exhibition sector lost almost Rs 4,800 crore since March 2020.

Jersey: Dec 31

Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir, says, "Theatres may start with 50 per cent occupancy, with only fully vaccinated people allowed. Few theatres are also considering appealing for [the removal of] GST." He adds that ticket prices can be determined once the safety protocols have been announced. "It's not the right time to increase the ticket rates, because people should be willing to come to theatres in the first place."

Also Read: Maharashtra: Cinemas, theatres to reopen from October 22