Vikram Bhatt: It’s going be long haul before people start watching films in theatres

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt is being optimistic that the cinema loving audience will come around and throng theatres like before soon.

With cinemas reopen in many cities across the country including Maharashtra, it is still a catch 22 situation for exhibitors and producers when it comes to releasing new projects. Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt feels that it is rather a good news that theatres are back after a lock break, but he is still sceptical about the audience’s response.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt’s latest is web series, Twisted 3.

“I think it’s wonderful that theatres are opening again. We’ve taken a big hit in terms of business with the theatres closing but I think it’s going be long haul start before people coming in again and watching films like they use to before,” shares Bhatt.

However, he’s being optimistic that the cinema loving audience will come around and throng theatres like before soon.

“There are lots of standard protocols that theatres will have to take care of, and I don’t know how many people will be willing to risk their lives to watch the movie,” he says, adding, “But I’m very hopeful that people will go because the opening of the restaurants has given as an indication that people have worn masks and gone into restaurants and in huge numbers. So I’m feeling very buoyed by that and I do think that we will be up and running fast then earlier I thought and the faster the better because we need to get back into circulation.”

 

Some people still feel that is it rather a bit too soon given the situation and the rising number of Covid cases in some cities. However, Bhatt does not agree with this thought process.

He reasons, “Since everything has opened up, flights, restaurants, malls and buses, I think there has to be a sense of awareness. If you are opening public places, you must open up all the public places.”

Bhatt also admits that with proper precautions and protocols in place, there is no reason why theatres are not safe.

“Yes, I understand theatres are contained zones and air conditions are on, but so are buses and metros and malls for that matter. So, I think there should be uniformity in what is allowed and what is not allowed. If we feel any close places with air conditioning be risky then it has to be true for all such places. We can’t give freedom to operate some places and not to others. So in that way I don’t think it’s pretty soon in fact it has rather been late,” he concludes.