‘Samme’ effect, 450 movie theaters closed

Movie lovers returned home dejected on Wednesday with cinema halls remaining closed across Telangana including the state capital in view of the Sakala Janula Samme. The Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce gave a call to film distributors and exhibitors to close film theatres on September 14 and 15, to express their solidarity for the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme, demanding formation of a separate Telangana.

Nearly 450 cinema houses including multiplexes across the Telangana region have been closed voluntarily to mark the twoday protest. As a result, theatre managements suffered a loss of `10,000 per theatre on average. It is estimated the state government will lose nearly `1 crore in terms of entertainment tax and other taxes due to the twoday closure. In terms of losses occurred due to lack of ticket sales, the theatres are learnt to have lost about `80,000 to `1 lakh in cinema halls in Hyderabad while those in rural areas suffered a loss of about `40,000 `80,000 on the first day.

“It was a voluntary decision to close cinema theatres as an act of solidarity. We are happy to express our willingness to be part of the movement in a different way despite suffering losses,” said M Vijayender Reddy, president, TFCC.

Related posts:

1. Excise employees join Telangana ‘Sakala Janula Samme’
2. Telangana temples join ‘Sakala Janula Samme’
3. Industry bandh to cost Rs 1,000cr in 2 days
4. Movie on Telangana takes a dig at government
5. T teachers JAC join the Samme
6. Teachers and RTC to join the Samme
7. Total ‘Bandh’ in T dists on Day 2
8. ‘T’ in strike mode for Sakala Janula Samme
9. Theatres across Telangana to remain shut on Sep 14 and15
10. Sakala Janula Samme from September 13