The world is currently battling deadly Coronavirus. Declared a pandemic, the novel COVID-19 has disrupted lives all across the world. While India also fights against the virus, several industries and businesses are facing major losses due to the lockdown imposed all across the country to curb the impact of the Coronavirus. Amidst this, theatres like Gaiety Galaxy are finding it an uphill task to sustain themselves. So much so, the owner of the iconic theatre, Manoj Desai, had to reportedly take a bank loan to pay salaries to employees. With theatres shut since March 14, the popular theatre seems to be in trouble. However, acting as the rightful knight in shining armour, Akshay Kumar volunteered to provide financial assistance to Manoj in case the current scenario fails to improve. Manoj, in an interview with a leading daily, appreciated the superstar's generosity. He also said the team behind the theatre's operation managed to collect enough funds for employees' salaries this month.
"Three days ago, I got a call from Akshayji. He offered to provide financial assistance if the scenario continues. It was kind of him to offer help, but we should find a way to sustain ourselves. We have managed to collect enough funds to pay the salaries for this month, but the theatre shutdown will have long-term ramifications. Our focus is to ensure we don't trim staff or resort to pay cuts," Manoj told.
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Manoj, along with his business partner Arun Nair had initially decided to hike the ticket prices to cover up for the losses. However, with the lockdown period extended till May 3, making up for 45-days of financial damage seems to be a tough task. "I will head to Gaiety and Maratha Mandir today to finalise our plan of action for May. We are reworking our plans to ensure that we don't have to seek support from the industry folk," Manoj added.
(Source: Mid-Day)
