After the onset of COVID 19 pandemic in India in late March the government ordered the closure of all public places such as malls, movie theaters, places of worship etc. The film theaters have downed their shutters for the past four months and have been requesting the government to allow them to resume operations promising that all hygiene, social distancing, and health protection measures will be followed.

On Monday the Indian government released guidelines for movie shootings to resume and there was also mention that tickets should be sold online which hinted a possibility of permission to reopen theaters along with the commencement of shootings.

The TN Information and Broadcasting Minister Kadambu Raju has however stated that theaters attract large numbers of people and hence there is a chance of the coronavirus spreading. Hence he has told the press that only if the spread is curbed and normalcy is returned the theaters will be permitted to reopen in the state.

Raju has also said that regarding producers releasing their films on OTT the government has no say in it and it is for the film fraternity to hold talks among themselves and find a solution. From his press briefing, the chances of movie halls reopening in the near future are pretty slender.