Multiplex Association of India (MAI) on Monday urged movie studios, producers and content creators to respect the exclusive theatrical window, an industry practice that has been followed across the globe.

This comes at a time when the government has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown put in place to curb the Covid-19 spread till May 17 and some regional filmmakers are eyeing premièring their films on OTT platforms.

In a letter, MAI said, "MAI would like to urge 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 re-open."

"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 stakeholders, not just in India, but even globally, for several decades," it added.

The industry association believes that the combination of pent-up demand and new content, would boost film business and contribute to reviving the industry, when multiplexes are allowed to re-open.

"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," it added.

MAI said it is committed to working with Government institutions and partners through the weeks and months to ensure that cinemas survive this testing time.

"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 statement added.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW