The current countrywide lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a large number of businesses in the country, including cinema halls, which rely heavily on patrons visiting them for income. Theatres have had zero business since mid-March because of the lockdown.

Manoj Desai, executive director of the company that owns the G7 multiplex, popularly known as Gaiety-Galaxy, in Bandra and the Maratha Mandir cinema in Mumbai, is among those facing a major financial crunch currently. Due to virtually no earnings, it has become difficult for Desai's firm to pay staff salaries, a fact that was reported last week by the Mid-Day newspaper. In the same report, Desai said he was not willing to lay off any of his employees.

To help his theatres survive, actor Akshay Kumar offered to help Desai financially, which was also reported by the same publication. 

However, Desai told Cinestaan.com that he has turned down the actor's offer of help. “I have politely refused it. I told him, politely, that in case the situation continues next month [May], then I will think about it. I will decide then. For the current month, I have taken an overdraft from the bank to pay salaries to my employees," he said.

Maratha Mandir is among the oldest surviving single-screen cinema halls in Mumbai. Gaiety-Galaxy is probably the oldest multiplex, in existence before the word multiplex came into vogue.