Coronavirus Outbreak: 'This shutdown has created a huge loss for us'

Gaiety Galaxy multiplex in Mumbai.

Ask any exhibitor in Mumbai, and he will tell you that summer is one of the most profitable periods in the business. With school and college students enjoying their summer vacations, coupled with big releases hitting screens, cinemas witness a significant rise in footfalls. Naturally then, the temporary shutdown of theatres from March 14 in the wake of the pandemic has caused a big dent in their revenues. In order to compensate for the losses, Gaiety Galaxy - one of Mumbai's iconic theatres known for its pocket-friendly prices - will increase its ticket rates by 14 to 18 per cent once it opens shutters again.

Manoj Desai, executive director of the G7 multiplex and Maratha Mandir, says, "This shutdown has created a huge loss for us. My theatres are the only ones that sell tickets at the lowest cost, but now, I am planning to increase the rates by Rs 20 [as soon as the shutdown is called off]." In an age when a multiplex ticket is priced upwards of Rs 300, the colourful Bandra theatre would offer a stall ticket for only Rs 110 while a balcony seat would set you back by Rs 150.

Desai states that his top priority is to stand by his employees in trying times. "No matter what the situation, I am paying my staff. Where will they go in such a crisis?"

Amid growing health concerns, he is well-aware that it will be a long wait before fans flock to theatres. "I don't see it get back to normalcy until the first week of May," he sighs.

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