The Coronaviruscaused widespread shutdowns that were especially hard on the film industry. With theatres closed and shoots cancelled, movies have been unable to proceed as normal. After eight months, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari was the first feature to make its way to cinemas. Zee Studios made sure that the release took place on Sunday, in contrast to the usual Friday releases.
While credit goes to Zee for taking the first step towards releasing movies normally in cinema halls, it has to be noted that the audience turnout was slower than expected. In fact, footfalls were far below the permitted amount of 50% occupancy that the government has allowed. This low key audience turnout is being attributed to the fear of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite small attendance, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari has brought in Rs. 80 lakhs in its first day. Although the figure is lower than normal, the turnout is anticipated to grow throughout the week. With 800 screens and roughly 2,800 screenings across India, the movie will stay as the primary new release for a while until other films reveal their dates.
