While the Ministry of Home Affairs, on September 30, announced that theatres across India could open from October 15 in areas demarcated as non-containment zones and at 50% capacity, the move has received a rather dull response from theatre owners. While they are grateful that their businesses, that were shut for almost 6 months now, will re-open, they state that with Maharashtra's theatres being shut, there won't be much content to screen in their theatres and there will be no new Bollywood mass entertainers released. Salman Khan To Book An Entire Floor Of Mehboob Studios To Complete Radhe Shoot In August (Deets Inside).

While Jaipur-based exhibitor Raj Bansal tells Mumbai Mirror that his plan is to rely on mass entertainers like the Dhoom franchise and comedies Golmaal and Hera Pheri, a Mumbai-based theatre owner revealed to the daily that while everyone awaits for Bollywood's big blockbusters to release, they will resort to regional content. Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi and Ranveer Singh’s 83 Will Not Skip Theatrical Release (Read Statement).

However, for the theatre business to bloom back to its original glory, it is imperative that theatres in Mumbai re-open as only then will mass entertainers like Salman Khan's Radhe, Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi, Ranveer Singh's 83 and Ranbir Kapoor's Shamshera release as the films will obviously not be released on OTT platforms. Unlock 5: Multiplexes and Single Screens to Finally Re-open from October 15 with 50% Capacity.

Maratha Mandir and G7 Multiplex owner Manoj Desai tells the daily that he was expecting Mumbai to fall under the order issued by the centre of re-opening theatres, "But I’m still waiting for my achche din. Our representatives are trying to speak to the government to reopen cinema halls in Maharashtra like the rest of the country." Echoing the same sentiment, Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Cinemas, says, "The state is the torchbearer of the film business and we are confident that if theatres open in Maharashtra even by October end, it will be a Happy Diwali."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2020 09:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).