Extended lockdown sounds death knell for single-screen theatres in Odisha

Movie theatres are set to reopen in most parts of India on October 15 in accordance with the central government directive. But in Odisha, the theatre shutdown has been extended till October 31, prolonging the woes of the exhibitors. Theatres in the state have been closed for more than seven months now and the extension simply means another nail in the coffin for many.

Things have come to such a pass that people from the Odia film and television industries along with theatre owners fear that many single screens across the state will also fall prey to Covid-19. And the already struggling film industry of the state will take a major hit in absence of enough theatres to screen Odia films. “The Nishamani theatre in Cuttack had closed down permanently earlier this year. I recently spoke to another cinema hall owner in Cuttack who said he, too, is about to close his theatre. We’ve been getting information about owners changing single screen theatres to godowns or wedding halls every now and then. The seven-month shutdown has broken their backs. And this doesn’t bode well for the state’s film industry,” said veteran filmmaker Basant Sahu.
To this, film distributor and president of Utkal Cine Chamber of Commerce Dillip Mishra added, “After this pandemic, around 20-30% single screens in the state may down shutters permanently. These halls employ thousands of people and touch the lives of thousands more in the film industry. At this rate, all these people may face severe problems in the coming days. It’s high time every stakeholder came forward and tried to salvage the situation.”

According to theatre owners, earlier, they would panic if business was halted for just a day or two. But now, it has been more than seven months. “We still have to pay the salaries of our employees and all the bills. Earlier, my expenditure was around `2-2.5 lakh per month or around `8,000 per day and a show running houseful would earn around `25,000 per day. Now, the expense has remained the same, but income is zero,” said Ashok Kumar Mohapatra, owner of Ravi Talkies, one of the oldest single screens in the city. “I feel the government should not only allow theatres to reopen, but also come forward to help us. Many of us are in dire straits and without government support we can no longer bear the huge burden,” he added.

To this, Lingaraj Panda, owner of Maharaja Picture Palace, added that many hall owners have been spending money on keeping the premises clean and keep the machinery in running condition. “I have a skeletal staff to keep a watch and maintain the hall. We have been going through a lot of problems since
"Our business has been completely halted for a large part of the year. My monthly expenditure was Rs 10-12 lakh or around Rs 40,000 per day. A houseful show earned around `67,000, from which I paid GST and distributor’s share. But there’s been no income for more than seven months now. Like most businesses have been allowed, we want the halls to reopen too,” Panda said.
Another factor is worrying hall owners. Even if theatres reopen but colleges remain shut, footfall would be below what’s viable. “In the prevailing scenario, the family crowd will avoid theatres, but not college students. So, unless colleges reopen, footfall in theatres will be dismally low,” Panda said.

According to the hall owners, there is no plan, unless the government steps in to help. “We don’t know how to recover. We need some kind of help from the government. It may be in the form of grants, exemptions or low-interest loans, but we need it,” said Ashok Mohapatra.

Filmmaker Jyotee Das said, “While government’s support is necessary, I also feel that our industry needs to make a few outstanding films to bring audiences back to theatres.”
Panda added that they need major Hindi releases soon. “We depend on Hindi films for good business and so we are waiting for big releases,” he said.

The fate of theatres is also linked to Ollywood and that’s worrying people in the industry. “We can’t make films for TV only. Single-screen theatres are our best hope. If these theatres do not survive, it will hit us badly,” said Pradyumna Lenka, president of the producers’ association.

Film researcher Surya Deo said, “The hall owners have been incurring losses for the past seven months. It would be good if halls reopen as soon as possible. That will help restart their business. But we must tread the path between life and livelihood cautiously. The government should check all the aspects and talk to cinema hall owners before taking a decision.”

The government-run Kalinga Studio, which has been undergoing renovations, has been hosting a few television shoots on the premises. “Three television channels have hired our space and have been shooting here post the lockdown. We are also waiting for the film producers to come and shoot here, as it is a cheap option for them,” said OFDC chairman Kuna Tripathy.