In light of the coronavirus outbreak in India, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced that all movie theatres will remain shut till 31 March, reported ANI. Disinfecting all public places, including govt, pvt offices and shopping malls, has been made compulsory, Kejriwal said.
Now PVR has issued a statement, confirming that the chain in Delhi, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir will be closed. “This is with reference to advisory issued by states of Kerala, Delhi and UT of Jammu & Kashmir to shut down all cinema Halls till 31st March, 2020 as a precautionary and preventive measure to prevent spread of COVID-19,” the statement read.
“All of us at PVR have utmost concern for the safety and well-being of each of our guests, and in the same context, we fully respect the decision of respective state governments and UT Administration. We believe that this is a temporary situation and remain buoyant about the film business in India, and our own growth prospects. We also look forward to continuing to serve our guests in the States of Kerala, Delhi and UT of Jammu and offering them a world class movie going experience 1st April 2020 onwards,” the statement added. Owing to this pandemic, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Sooryavanshi’s release has been postponed.
The Kerala government also advised shutdown of theatres amidst the coronavirus scare. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has issued guidelines to prevent its escalation in the state. Restrictions have been imposed on large gatherings of people, and film screenings, concerts and plays have been barred in the state till 31 March. Actor Mohanlal’s film Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, which was slated for a 26 March release, is likely to be postponed in light of these developments.
In response to the advisory, the M Renjith, president of the Kerala Film Producers’ Association, has said that cinema halls will remain closed till 16 March. “We have learnt that a government-level review of the general situation will be held on 16 March. A decision on whether to extend the period of the closure of theatres will be taken on the basis of the feedback given by the government,” The Hindu quoted him as saying.
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