MAI appeals producers and directors to hold films for theartrical release

The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has urged to studio partners, producers, artistes and content creators to support the cinema exhibition sector by holding their films and releasing them in theatres once they''re opened again.

India is currently under the lockdown with around 1.3 billion people asked to stay home in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

There were rumours that several films are looking at a direct-to-digital release amid the lockdown, including Akshay Kumar starrer "Laxmmi Bomb".

In a statement, MAI requested producers to "respect the exclusive theatrical window."

"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 open again.

"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 stake-holders, not just in India, but even globally, for several decades," the statement read.

MAI said when the crisis ends, the combination of the "pent-up demand" and the promise of new movies would boost film business and contribute massively in reviving the industry.

"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."

Established under the aegis of FICCI in 2002, the national multiplex trade body represents more than 18 regional and national multiplex chains, including PVR, INOX, Carnival and Cinepolis, and operates more than 2900 screens across the country.