Unlock 5.0 | Big relief for exhibitors as Delhi allows theatres to reopen from October 15

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Delhi, one of the major markets for the theatre industry, on October 7 allowed theatres to reopen from October 15.

According to Akshaye Rathi, film exhibitor/Director, Saroj Screens, it is a big relief for exhibitors in the two key markets of Mumbai and Delhi.

"It is half the battle won as theatres in Delhi will reopen from October 15. With Maharashtra, which we are hoping will open soon enough, we will have major markets up and running. This implies that a lot of Hindi films and Hollywood ventures will now be able to release to an optimum capacity and geographical outreach with these two states sorted," he added.

Many tent-pole films despite being ready for release have not announced release dates due to theatres remaining shut in major markets.

Even for makers of Sooryavanshi and Tenet, both Mumbai and Delhi are important circuits.

Depending on the kind of films, Rathi expects collections anywhere between 25 percent and 40 percent of the national box office.

Film trade analyst Komal Nahta said, "There are many big-capacity multiplexes in the capital city from where huge revenues accrue."

If we look at number of screens of top multiplex players, around 7.5 percent of PVR’s and three percent of Inox's screens are in Delhi.

When it comes to ticket sales, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru contribute the lion’s share of growth, experts told Moneycontrol.

If we compare ticket prices on online movie ticket booking sites then moviegoers in Delhi pay the highest prices as average ticket prices range from Rs 146 during weekdays to Rs 339 during weekends.

With Delhi allowing theatres to reopen from October 15, only few major markets remain that are yet to allow cinemas to reopen including Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.

The exhibition sector is in talks with Maharashtra Cultural Minister Amit Deshmukh to let theatres in the state to reopen by October 15. "We are hoping that Maharashtra government will consider the plight of the (exhibition) sector and allow theatres to reopen soon," Rathi said.