The global coronavirus pandemic has seen the cinema sector suffer massive financial losses, with thousands of screens countrywide forced to close down, and many employees, not just from the cinema industry, but even other stakeholders, facing personal hardship.
The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has now appealed to all studio partners, producers, artistes and content creators to support the cinema exhibition sector, a vital part of the value chain, by holding and releasing their films in the theatres, once they open again. The MAI says, “To this end, we urge all studios, producers, artistes and other content creators, to kindly respect the exclusive theatrical window, which has been a time-tested industry practice, agreed to by all stake-holders, not just in India, but even globally, for several decades.”
It adds that it is committed to working with government institutions and partners through the weeks and months to come to ensure that cinemas survive through the pandemic.
"It is crucial that the entire industry unites in rallying against the existential threat to our collective well-being, and that we tackle the crisis unitedly for the sake of our audiences as well as our supply chains and other stakeholders,” the Association says.
It says that the collective, social experience of watching films on the big screen needs to be preserved and it can be done so only with the collective support of all stakeholders.
The MAI is a nationwide group of cinema operators that informs, educates and advocates on behalf of the cinema exhibition sector. It works with regulatory bodies and industry partners nationwide to raise the profile of cinema, highlight opportunities, and address various challenges faced by the cinema exhibition sector. The MAI was established in 2002 under the auspices of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) by leading cinema operators.
“By supporting each other now, we will return stronger than ever when we are again able to welcome back the many crores of devoted film fans who miss the big screen every bit as much as we do,” the MAI concludes.