Indian Theatre Owners Urge Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Allow Full Capacity

Owners of single-screen theatres in West Bengal have sent a letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urging her to allow full occupancy, New Indian Express reports.

The owners said they have suffered huge losses due to the rule of 50% occupancy since October.

"There has been no report on the spread of the pandemic by way of screening of films in cinema halls in and around the country since the time the halls reopened," read the letter, signed by Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA) president Piya Sengupta.

"If the occupancy restrictions are relaxed, several Bengali and Hindi movies waiting in the pipeline will be released and exhibitors may be benefited and get a chance to survive."

Navina Cinema owner Navin Chokhani, said, "I will welcome the increasing of theatre occupancy to 100 per cent only when I am sure that it won't affect the safety of our audience and employees. If that is not possible now, we should wait for a few more months for the pandemic to subside fully."

Read more on New Indian Express.

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