“Theatres too should take care of social distancing,” says Pankaj Batra on post lockdown release of movies

While Bollywood filmmakers have decided to release their movies on OTT platforms considering the current pandemic and lockdown situation, Punjabi producers are yet to take this leap. However, they do feel that if social distancing is followed even when the lockdown gets over, people will get the courage to come back to theatres eventually. Talking to ETimes exclusively on the very subject, filmmaker Pankaj Batra said, “I think theatres too should take care of social distancing even post lockdown and then we can release our movies.”
“For example if a theatre has an occupancy for 200 people, it should be opened for around 138.So basically, the way offices have called in 33 percent of 50 percent of their employees, theatres too should be opened with like 60-70 per cent occupancy post lockdown” he added.
Pankaj Batra also said that there should be enough space between seats so as to follow the rules of social distancing. And this way, the audience too will be able to develop courage to go out and enjoy movies in theatres.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Pankaj Batra earlier this year made it to the theatres with the movie ‘Jinde Meirye’. It was an out and out romantic movie starring Parmish Verma and Sonam Bajwa.