Hindi
Multiplex Association writes to Maharashtra CM, says possible lockdown could hit cinemas
MUMBAI: Maharashtra has been witnessing a drastic surge in coronavirus cases over the past few days, and several medical experts have suggested that the only possible way to curb the rising caseloads is by implementing a second lockdown. Amid looming uncertainty over a possible shutdown, the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has written to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, saying that another lockdown, if implemented, could hit the film exhibition industry very badly.
The MAI added that yet another halt on operations could also negatively affect the functioning of retail and shopping industries.
"Such measures that curtail smooth operations will not only deter genuine movie-goers and shoppers, who have slowly returned to cinemas and shopping centers, from visiting cinemas and malls but also put into motion a downward spiraling effect on cinema industry and modern retail that could derail the recovery of these segments," the association stated.
In the letter, the MAI noted that the implementation of a second lockdown in the state will result in the postponement of several Hindi movie releases, which will in turn create an extremely hostile situation for cinemas across the nation.
The MAI added that "second lockdown will be extremely detrimental and would lead to severe and irreversible consequences for the cinema exhibition sector."
It was on 13 March 2020 that the Maharashtra government decided to close all cinema halls in the state due to the rising number of Coronavirus infections. The closure lasted until 9 November, and now, even after five months of opening, the industry has not stabilised due to the hesitance of people to enter movie halls.
Further, the MAI pointed out that cinema halls are ensuring sufficient hygienic practices, and even being a closed setting, theatres are safer when compared to local trains, metro trains, and airlines. The letter also asserted that a lockdown on cinemas will be discriminating and discouraging.
After months of remaining shuttered, cinemas reopened in October 2020 with a 50 per cent cap on seating and had to adhere to strict protocols issued by the government. Restrictions were further eased from 1 February 2021 and theatres were allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity. However, footfalls have been low, and according to a Livemint report, hovering between seven to 30 per cent in north India. There are exceptions to this abysmal trend — Tamil film Master ran to packed houses even after arriving on an OTT platform, while Telugu film Uppena has also done great business.
Hindi
Remembering Gyan Sahay, the lens behind film, television and advertising
From a puppet rabbit selling poppadums to Hindi cinema, he framed it all.
MUMBAI: There are careers, and then there are canvases. Gyan Sahay, the veteran cinematographer, director, and producer who passed away on 10 March 2026 in Mumbai, had one of the latter. Over several decades in the Indian film and television industry, he turned lenses, lights, and the occasional puppet rabbit into something approaching art.
A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, Sahay built his reputation as a director of photography across a career that stretched from the early 1970s all the way to the digital age. He was the kind of craftsman who understood that a well-composed shot is not merely a technical achievement but a quiet act of storytelling.
For most Indians of a certain age, however, Sahay will forever be the man behind the rabbit. His direction of the iconic long-running television commercial for Lijjat Papad, featuring its now-legendary puppet bunny, gave the country one of its most cheerfully persistent advertising images. It was the sort of work that sneaks into the national subconscious and takes up permanent residence.
His big-screen credits as cinematographer include Anokhi Pehchan (1972), Pagli (1974), Pas de Deux (1981), and Hum Farishte Nahin (1988). In 1999, he stepped behind a different kind of camera altogether, making his directorial debut with Sar Ankhon Par, a drama that featured Vikas Bhalla and Shruti Ulfat, with a cameo by Shah Rukh Khan for good measure.
On television, Sahay was particularly prized for his command of multi-camera production setups, a skill that made him a go-to technician for large-scale shows and reality programmes. In an industry that has never been especially patient with complexity, he was the calm hand on the rig.
In later life, Sahay turned teacher. He participated regularly in masterclasses and Digi-Talks, often hosted by organisations such as Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, sharing hard-won wisdom on cinematography, the comedy of timing in a shot, and the sweeping changes brought by the shift from celluloid to digital. He was also said to have been involved in a project concerning a biographical film on Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.
Tributes from the film industry poured in following the news of his passing, with colleagues remembering him as a senior cameraman who served as a rare bridge between two entirely different eras of Indian cinema. That is, perhaps, the finest thing one can say of any craftsman: he kept up, and he brought others along with him.
