Mumbai, Oct. 22 (BNA): Cinemas in India’s entertainment capital Mumbai reopened on Friday after more than 18 months of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, the latest of several virus restrictions amid a downturn in infections.
Theaters opened at half capacity, according to guidelines released last month, but it has struggled to attract audiences again and has mostly relaunched earlier. Many shows were shown with fewer audiences, movie ticket portal BookMyShow showed, AP reports.
To reduce the risk of the virus, only those with COVID-19 vaccination certificates or “safe mode” on the state-run health app will be allowed into theaters.
Masks and temperature checks are mandatory and no food or drinks will be allowed in. Theaters elsewhere in the country are already running shows.
Mumbai was one of the cities hardest hit by the pandemic, but it has gradually reopened after the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 decreased. However, cinemas there are among the last public spaces to reopen – a very symbolic move in the country’s financial capital also known for its Bollywood film industry.
Each year, the $2.8 billion industry produces more than 2,000 films. The success of Bollywood over the years has incorporated movie watching into contemporary Indian culture and has been a boon to the economy.
Restrictions on movie theaters to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have hurt operators. But the industry is expected to rebound. Indian filmmakers line up for big-ticket releases ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, when sales reach their peak and audiences flock to theaters.
The return to cinemas in Mumbai comes a day after India celebrated its billionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About half of India’s 1.4 billion people have received at least one dose while about 20% have been fully immunized, according to Our World in Data.
insult