The coronavirus pandemic is taking a substantial toll on the theatres. Star Cineplex has been hit extra hard due to their recent mammoth expenditures to open multiple brand new multiplexes. The theatre chain called a press conference on Wednesday to declare a seven point plea to the government in order to salvage their 15 screens across Bangladesh.
Star Cineplex Chairman Mahboob Rahman presided over the conference stating how they incurred excess costs recently to fulfil public demand for more accessible movie screens and how we should follow the example of other nations who are spending hefty sums to ensure theatres survive the pandemic.
"Keeping the audiences' needs in mind, we opened three new branches in 2018 and 2019 with high interest bank loans," Mahboob said. "The theatres are not generating any income for five months, yet we can't cut costs any further by layoffs or interest reduction. If we don't open the theatres now and receive government assistance, we might have to shut down for good."
The seven point demands he raised are:
1. The theatres should be opened to the public immediately following health regulations
2. Urgent financial assistance
3. Alleviate all taxes on movie tickets
4. Approve interest-free loans
5. Relieve restrictions on importing films in South Asian languages
6. Allow Star Cineplex to pay half the rent to the shopping mall authorities till things go back to normal
7. Producer's Guild should allow the release of new films that have been cleared by the censor board; so audiences come back to the theatres
These steps will help the cineplexes subsist and benefit its 300 plus employees and sixty-odd suppliers. Furthermore, it will ultimately rescue the film industry from fading into oblivion.
"If theatres don't survive, films will also perish," Mahboob said. "To save films, we need to save cinema halls first. We can't pass this critical juncture without the help of the government"
