Raise your hands if you have missed taking your bae on a date to a cinema hall. We feel you! We all have missed the experience of sitting in a PVR and watching 3D movies. But our wait seems to have come to an end. Yes, you heard that, right! Cinema halls are now open in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with 50% capacity after being shut for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, theatres and multiplexes remain closed in Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Chhattisgarh.
Also read: 10 Ways Your Movie Theatre Experience Will Change After The Coronavirus Shutdown
Cinema Halls To Operate In 50% Seating Capacity
Activities permitted include cinemas, theatres and multiplexes. The cinema halls open up to 50% of their seating capacity, for which the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued the SOP. The Home Minister’s decision was awaited for millions of movie lovers, employees of the cinema exhibition sector, along with the entire film industry. Here are Four Changes To Expect At Dubai Cinemas.
MAI To Ensure Safety & Hygiene
The MAI association also mentioned that they are committed to a safe, hygienic, and secure cinema-going experience for the movie buffs. They also added that they would prioritise the health and well-being of the guests as well as the employees. Social distancing, thermal screening, protection gear for the staff, and providing phone numbers for contact tracing are some of the new changes applicable. Novo Cinemas Reopens With 30% Capacity.
Popcorn Containers Will Have Paper Lids
At the food and beverages section, food would be sterilised under UV rays in a machine for eight minutes before being served to the customer. Paper lids will cover popcorn containers. Despite the additional arrangements, the prices of tickets and food will remain the same as pre-COVID rates.
The Film Industry Lost ₹9,000 Crores In The Past Six Months
Earlier, the MIA had mentioned in a statement that said the film exhibition industry was losing ₹1,500 crore a month due to the closure of cinema halls. This means that in the last six months, the sector lost revenues ₹9,000 crores. On the other hand, malls, airlines, retail, railways hotels, gyms, bars and metros have been permitted to reopen. While the cinemas remained closed for a long time, now they are better equipped to manage crowds in a stringent hygienic environment.
The maintenance costs of movie halls could shoot up by around 20-25% in the post-Covid world. However, multiplexes could compensate for it by cutting headcount within properties as operations increasingly get digitised to minimise contact.