no two opinions about the fact that even more restrictions and harsh rules are required to stop the big surge in the covid cases in maharashtra and some other states which is largely due to the peoples dekha jayega and i care a damn attitude but one look inside the multiplexes offices and you will see long faces with loads of uncertainty on them the maharashtra governments rule to get a rapid antigen test done before entering the malls to be brought into effect from march 22 has dealt a crushing blow to the plex lobby and film industry if you are going to spend rs 250 on a rapid antigen test accuracy reportedly not 100 per cent to enter a mall which houses a plex because you want to see a movie you are most unlikely to agree to bear that big hole in your pocket which would double your cost on your ticket even if the test in question is going to be provided free which is unlikely how much early are you going to land up for the queue to make it to the auditorium in time and how will a covidnegative result a sort of noc that you can carry serve the purpose if it is 72 hours old trade analyst amod mehra when contacted called it a doomsday for the film business the multiplexes will suffer a very cruel blow with this new rule distributor ramesh sippy said its so scary the movie business has already touched almost rockbottom its crystal clear that it will only further worsendistributor d s bansal said that more than the ticket cost increasing is the trouble that the cinemagoer will have to now endure why would anyone like to stand in a queue and undergo a test before seeing a movie what is going to be so special in any film that heshe will happily undergo the test randomly at a mall and in all likelihood pay rs 1000 extra for his family and himselfmanoj desai owner of gaietygalaxymaratha mandir said i may not have a theatre inside a mall but the pall of gloom at the multiplexes is definitely going to spill onto the single screens humara business bhi khatam ho jayega a source chipped in i dont understand how so many makers have recently announced the release dates of their upcoming films for all you know there might be now further delays in release dates the existing movie calendar may have to be reworked yet againso thats that and the 50 per cent occupancy permit which was expected to be stepped up in the coming days with the release dates of some big films drawing near is unlikely to happen as many places are facing fresh and stricter lockdowns worse imagine the chaos at the plexes and malls if the public indeed lines up to face the test sad but true the second wave looks more dangerous and the rapid antigen test is certainly not going to