Coronavirus outbreak: Theatres to be shut down for two weeks in Telangana?

Amid growing concerns and an increase in the confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), theatres across the Telangana State may see a temporary closure for two weeks, until March 31 to contain the spread of the pandemic. The move may come into effect from Monday, say reports. 

"The release dates of a few films have been postponed, while the fate of other movies looks uncertain. Public safety is the utmost priority. So keeping in mind the public good, a joint meeting of the producers, exhibitors, and distributors will be held on Saturday to ascertain the situation. We will take a call on whether to cancel the shoots and shut down the theatres based on the current scenario prevailing in various parts of the region. We are expecting a proposal tomorrow," says K Murali Mohan, president of the Telangana State Film Chamber of Commerce. 

While he doesn't rule out the shut down of theatres in the region, Murali asserts that they would nevertheless follow the State government's advisory. "There are a lot of restrictions on public gatherings. We are all taking preventive measures to control the spread of the virus. However, the virus might multiply in crowded places. We have been in constant touch with the government authorities and will follow the advisory. While a possibility of a two-week shut down can't be ruled out, we will discuss the pros and cons with respect to the trade if this closure comes into the effect," he adds. 

It may be recalled that the multiplex chain PVR cinemas, on Thursday, announced that all their cinema halls in Kerala, New Delhi and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir will remain shut till March 31.