Mumbai: The Centre on Sunday announced that cinema halls and theatres will be permitted to operate at 100% capacity from February 1. However, filmmakers and multiplex owners in the city are awaiting a similar notification from the state government to restore normalcy to the trade, given that Mumbai is the heart of India’s film industry.

So far, theatres were allowed to operate with 50% patronage. Gautam Dutta, CEO of PVR Ltd, said, “We thank the I&B ministry for allowing 100% seating capacity...This move will give confidence to producers to release their films, and audiences to return to the cinemas.”

However, exhibitor Manoj Desai of G-7 Multiplex and Prakash Chaphalkar, secretary of the Multiplex Association of India, pointed out that the state government has not made a similar declaration yet. Chaphalkar said, “BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have issued a photocopy order for their states. But unless Maharashtra permits 100% seating capacity, we cannot expect producers to draft a smooth rollout for their films.” He expects Maharashtra to permit full reopening 15 days after the Centre’s order.

“A business that has been closed for a whole year can attain normalcy only once all cinema halls nationwide are uniformly allowed to operate at 100% capacity. In Mumbai, the full restoration of local trains for the public is also important. Even under the new rules, train commuters are not permitted to travel freely during peak hour which is a hurdle,” Chaphalkar said. “Also the lockdown has caused deals to be renegotiated between producers and distributors, between property owners and multiplexes. Once all these issues are sorted out only then can screenings resume.” He said that as yet, no new releases are scheduled before April 2.