The film industry has decided to aid the government in their diktat to shut down gyms, cinema halls, schools and swimming pools, to stem the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), Western India Film Producers’ Association (WIFPA), Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) and Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) have all taken a decision to shut down all film and TV shootings till the end of the month.

“We met on Sunday at the IMPPA office and decided unanimously to shut down shooting. As for the losses, we all felt jaan hai toh jahan hai,” Ashoke Pandit, president, IFTDA said, according to the Hindustan Times.

“The film industry will suffer a loss of ₹80-90 crore every week. I think daily soaps will be worst hit,” observed trade analyst Atul Mohan, according to the newspaper.

And this is not a phenomenon that is limited to Bollywood.

In a piece for The Washington Post, director Christopher Nolan called movie theatres a “vital part of social life” and urged people to support them when they reopen after the coronavirus pandemic has settled.

“As Congress considers applications for assistance from all sorts of affected businesses, I hope that people are seeing our exhibition community for what it really is: a vital part of social life,” he wrote. “These are places of joyful mingling where workers serve up stories and treats to the crowds that come to enjoy an evening out with friends and family. As a filmmaker, my work can never be complete without those workers and the audiences they welcome.”

“The past few weeks have been a reminder, if we needed one, that there are parts of life that are far more important than going to the movies. But, when you consider what theaters provide, maybe not so many as you might think,” Nolan added.