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EXCLUSIVE: Suniel Shetty says govt needs to lend support in form of subsidies & tax rebates to revive theatres
Suniel Shetty adds that theatres need support from the Government, the audience and also needs good content
The film industry has been majorly impacted because of the Covid-19 pandemic. After the theatres were shut for several months in 2020, they were allowed to function with a 50 percent seating arrangement from last October, and with 100 percent occupancy from January this year. However, with the recent rise in the Coronavirus cases, new lockdown restrictions were recently announced in Maharashtra. The cinema halls have also been shut once again in the state. Pinkvilla reached out to Suniel Shetty to get his reaction on this latest development, and its impact.
“One is hoping that all this is temporary, and the wave can be controlled. Once the vaccination is done, the audience will come back, because there is no dearth of audience when it comes to cinema. Large screen cinema will always work. But the fear is how do we save the single screen theatres and multiplexes that have been shut for so long. Very proactive and positive support is required from the Government in the form of subsidies and tax rebates to revive these theatres, and the real estate that has probably deteriorated over a period of time. Till the time exhibition doesn't improve and theatres don’t come back it's going to be tough,” says Shetty.
He further adds, “We are all in the same storm but in different boats fighting this. Theatres need our support with good content, and also need Government and the audience’s support, which is finally the main thing. Once exhibition comes back, movies will never go out of fashion and never can. Movies were always made for the large screen,” he signs off.
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