Time.news – After 18 months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, on 22 October in “Bollywood” cinemas and theaters have reopened to the public, a signal that the health emergency is coming back. A long-awaited reopening in Mumbai, the entertainment capital of India and the largest film industry together with Hollywood.
The vaccination certificate is mandatory
Although the pandemic numbers are steadily declining, as a precaution theaters and cinemas are accessible only upon presentation of the vaccination certificate anti-Covid or the result of a negative test and will work at half their capacity, with the obligation to wear the mask. At the entrance, the public will have to measure their body temperature and no food or drinks can be consumed in the hall.
In fact, in other Indian cities, theaters and cinemas have already reopened in recent weeks, as the infections have decreased, but for Mumbai, one of the areas most affected by the pandemic, the authorities preferred to wait.
However performance halls and film studios are among the last places to reopen to the public: it is a very important symbol as the financial capital of India is famous all over the world for the Bollywood film industry, which annually produces more than 2 thousand films, with a turnover of 2.8 billion dollars.
The success of the film industry has catapulted India onto the contemporary cultural scene as well as being a growth factor in the national economy. The full resumption of film and cultural activities in general, now also in Bollywood, marks a further return to normality in India, where, after all, trade and markets are already fully functional and foreign tourists are welcome again.
The restrictions imposed on the film industry to stem coronavirus infections have caused huge losses for operators in the sector, who now expect a rapid recovery. It is no coincidence that the date on which Indians celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, the most important celebration for Hindus, was chosen for the reopening, a period in which generally there is the maximum turnout in cinemas and theaters.
Half the population vaccinated with the first dose
The reopening in Mumbai takes place after the inoculation of the billionth dose of the anti-Covid vaccine. At present, about 50% of India’s population – 1.4 billion – has received at least one dose and 20% have completed the immunization program.
For the occasion, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to buy Indian-made goods to revive the economy, which is expected to benefit from holiday season purchases.
“There are some of us who only rely on foreign brands even for daily needs. The success of vaccines Made in India is a paradigm shift”Said the nationalist premier, complimenting the common goal achieved by the government and citizens, united in the fight against Covid-19 and trying to dismiss the criticisms of his work.
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