BHUBANESWAR: After remaining shut for nine months due to the Covid-19 outbreak, cinema halls and multiplexes will be reopening in the State from Friday. The State government had allowed theatres to open from January 1 with Covid safety norms in place. But, most of the theatres decided to reopen from January 8 after making all necessary provisions.
While the development brings cheer among moviegoers, watching film on big screens would not be the same experience with several restrictions in place. Complying to the guidelines, halls will open only with 50 per cent occupancy and adequate social distancing. Use of facemask, hand sanitisation and thermal screening will be mandatory for all prior to their entry.
People with Covid- 19 symptoms will not be allowed in. “People will have to maintain one-seat distance from each other. The seat between two persons will be marked as ‘not to be occupied’,” said Binod Samal, a staff from Keshari cinema hall in the city. No food from outside will be allowed and hall will be sanitised after every show. There will also be staggered entry to avoid gathering outside hall, Binod added.
While Cinepolis in Rasulgarh has reopened earlier this week, multiplex chain INOX will resume its operations at DN Regalia mall and Symphony mall on January 8, BMC-Bhawani mall on January 10 and SGBL square mall in Cuttack on January 9. INOX has announced to offer private screenings for smaller groups of friends and families where it will screen movie as per their choice. It has also planned to introduce immunity boosters in its menu in near future.
Sources said ticket price in most of the theatres remain same, while online booking and payment in digital mode will be encouraged. Meanwhile, in the absence of new theatrical releases, theatres are planning to screen films that had been released in the earlier weeks. Cinema hall owners are also apprehensive about their business as the maximum guests to be allowed will be half of the capacity of the hall.