Single-screen theatre owners in Bengal wrote to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urging her to allow full occupancy, while citing huge losses in business and “no instance of the spread of Covid-19 through cinema halls”.

In the letter shot off to Mamata on Tuesday evening, said that they have suffered huge losses while complying with the rule of 50 per cent occupancy in cinemas since the reopening of the establishments in the third week of October.

“There has been no report on the spread of the pandemic by way of screening of films in cinema halls in and around the country since the time the halls reopened,” the letter signed by Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA) president Piya Sengupta read.

She said theatre owners are suffering huge losses as no new Hindi or Bengali films are being released due to the occupancy restrictions.

“If the occupancy restrictions are relaxed, several Bengali and Hindi movies waiting in the pipeline will be released and exhibitors may be benefited and get a chance to survive,” she said in the letter.

The letter referred to a notification issued by the Tamil Nadu government, which allowed full occupancy in cinemas with adherence to the Covid-19 protocol. The Palaniswami government’s decision came a day before the letter was issued.

Ajanta theatre owner and EIMPA office-bearer Ratan Saha had earlier said that many cinema hall owners are regretting their decision to reopen theatres in October last year as several releases since Durga Puja and the passage of Christmas-New Year season have failed to draw the audience.

Arijit Dutta, the owner of Priya Cinema, had said that the iconic theatre did not witness more than five per cent occupancy during the Christmas-New Year season.

Striking a different note, Navina Cinema owner Navin Chokhani, however, said, “I will welcome the increase of theatre occupancy to 100 per cent only when I am sure that it won't affect the safety of our audience and employees.”

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday issued a notification allowing hundred per cent occupancy in movie halls, after getting requests from film stars who urged the state to do so ahead of Pongal.

However, the Centre on Wednesday asked the government to revoke the decision, giving the state a reminder that the Home Ministry has issued its guidelines till January 31.

“State/UT governments shall not dilute these guidelines... in any manner and shall strictly enforce the same,” the letter, as quoted by NDTV, read, referring to the guidelines.

“In view of the above, the GoTN (Government of Tamil Nadu) is requested to immediately issue necessary orders to bring their guidelines in line with the MHA guidelines dated 28th December 2020 and inform compliance to this ministry,” it further said.