Omicron casts a shadow of uncertainty on silver screen; Rs 5k cr at stake

At least Rs 5,000 crore is at stake for the film industry in the next six months, say experts

Just as the picture was beginning to get bright, a cloud in the form of the Omicron variant has cast a shadow over the silver screen. With 1,800 movies lined up for a theatrical release, waiting for cinemas to open with 100 per cent capacity, the stakes are high.

The cinema industry, which took a 62 per cent hit in revenue in 2020 because of the pandemic, is staring at a loss of at least Rs 5,000 crore at the box office over the next six months if Omicron proves to be a spoiler, say those in the movie business. Some