The Massive Impacts of Covid-19 on India’s Entertainment Industry
According to the FICC, India’s media and entertainment industry was worth more than 1.82 trillion rupees before the onset of the CoronaVirus. Analysts estimate that the industry may have lost more than 25,000 crores to Covid-19 by the end of 2020. The stringent measures enacted to curb the pandemic’s spread had a significant toll on India’s entertainment industry. The lockdowns affected multiple sectors within and outside India as its impacts bit the economy. However, online casinos such as Lucky Nugget Casino may have escaped the devastating effects of the pandemic. This could be attributed to their online presence, which allowed gamers to subscribe and enjoy their gaming activities at the comfort of their homes.
The pandemic has exposed the savage socio-economic disintegration existing within India. Bollywood ceased shooting movies in Mid-March 2020, making earners turn to their savings. In the entertainment industry, especially film, workers found themselves caught in an economic turmoil whose end they could not predict. Organizations such as TWICE, Production Guild of India, CINTAA, and actors came up with strategies to help workers in the industry. However, it remains a challenge to comply with the safety standards before things return to normalcy.
Effects of Covid-19 on Box Office
The postponement of movie releases, pausing of shooting, and closing cinema halls, created many uncertainties within the Box Office sector. The more than 10,000 cinema halls in India remained closed from March until later in the year. Cinemas started opening in October 2020, but things have never been the same.
Since the shooting stopped in March, the cinemas’ opening proved among the most challenging moments in India’s entertainment industry history. Besides, that reduced the number of people a cinema hall can hold, cinemas also found themselves in the dilemma of re-releasing movies, including those from 2018.
The booming South India film industry also suffered a blow following the halting of shooting and delay of Telugu and Tamil movies’ release. Coronavirus brought the massive Indian film industry to a sudden standstill that would change the industry for a long time. Bollywood opted for a small screen following the shutting down of cinemas.
Television Shows
Consumption of television content increased during the lockdown, with many people staying indoors. The number of news viewers steadily increased as people wanted to get insights into the latest news and updates in the pandemic’s wake. Television programs such as Ramayan, Doordarshan airing Mahabharat recorded increased audience viewership. However, revenue from television adverts sharply decreased as companies struggled to remain afloat amid the pandemic.
Impacts on Entertainment events
The success of entertainment events depends on gatherings. With the lockdowns, events such as exhibitions, meetings, conferences, annual award shows and competitions, music festivals, and cultural events, among others, became untenable. Studies have revealed that approximately fifty percent of organizations cancelled 90% of their trips between March and July. More than 10 million people whose livelihoods depended on the events industry suffered because of the cancelled events.
The entertainment industry underwent a harrowing experience because of Covid-19. Even as normalcy returns, it will take time for the industry to recover. The safety concerns mean that relevant parties have to enact new strategies to cope with the changes and restore the entertainment industry’s glory.
