The West Bengal government has allowed cinema halls to function and cultural programmes such as theatre performances and musical shows to be held, albeit with only up to 50 participants present, from 1 October.
Tweeting the news, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said the go-ahead is subject to adherence to physical distancing norms, wearing of masks and compliance with precautionary protocols.
To return to normalcy, Jatras, Plays, OATs, Cinemas & all musical, dance, recital & magic shows shall be allowed to function with 50 participants or less from 1 Oct, subject to adherence to physical distancing norms, wearing of masks & compliance to precautionary protocols.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) September 26, 2020
Mahendra Soni, co-founder and director of SVF Entertainment, which runs the theatre chain SVF Cinemas, hailed the announcement. “We are happy and welcome Didi’s announcement," Soni said. "This is a huge relief for the exhibition industry.”
However, according to him, the reopening has to happen at the national level as it would be difficult to run theatres without new films being released. “I am hoping to receive some kind of announcement from the central government too,” he said.
As far as SVF Cinemas is concerned, Soni said he was awaiting detailed guidelines and safety protocols before deciding on the opening date. "We will open as soon as possible once we have the official notification along with the dos and don’ts," he said.