Most single-screens in Kolkata to shut as Covid-19 cases rise

Most of the single-screen theatres in Kolkata will shut down for an indefinite period as the city grapples with the second wave of the coronavirus, an industry official said on Thursday.

The alarming rise of Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks forced most of the single-screens to take the extreme step for public safety, an office-bearer of the Eastern India Motion Pictures Association said.

Single-screens such as Navina, Menoka, Jaya, Ajanta and Orient are among the theatres downing their shutters from Friday, he said.

Screenings will not be started before the situation turns conducive for the public to enjoy a film at a theatre without the fear of infection, he added.

"We have no alternative. We were chugging on despite poor footfall since October last year when the cinema halls reopened after lockdown. The surge in Covid-19 cases is another blow. We cannot afford to be oblivious to the emerging situation," said Satadeep Saha, the co-owner of Ajanta Cinema and a multiplex chain.