MUMBAI/PUNE: In yet another unlocking of sectors, the state government has allowed the reopening of cinema halls, multiplexes, drama theatres, yoga institutes, sports facilities such as badminton and squash courts as well as indoor shooting ranges and swimming pools, which will be available only for training of sportspersons, from Thursday.
Cine buffs in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, however, may have to wait for at least one more week for a movie day out as the 31 multiplexes will not open their doors to patrons on Thursday. Besides, all single screen theatre owners in Pune have decided not to start operations till a Covid-19 vaccine is available and the government provides them with subsidies.
A top official from the Multiplex Association of India said the government’s order was a signal to start and multiplexes in Pune would now start preparing to reopen. “Most of the multiplex chains have discontinued their housekeeping contractors. We don’t even know what content to screen. Some multiplexes will gradually start by operating one or two screens, maybe on one of the Fridays during the month.”
The owners of the four multiplexes in Nashik too said they would require around 5-6 days to reopen mainly because the premises had to be sanitised and cleaned and also because no good movie was presently available for screening.
Cinema halls will reopen at 50% capacity and prohibit eatables inside while sticking to Covid-19 protocols such as thermal checks, making masks mandatory at all times, and sanitisation. There will be one-seat distance between two people and the temperature inside auditoriums will be maintained between 24ºC and 30ºC.
Theatre operators will have to stagger show timings among different screens to ensure enough time for sanitisation of seats and the rest of the area, said an official. The detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued by the cultural affairs department.
The Centre had allowed reopening of cinema halls from October 15, but the state did not take a decision till now.
Sources from multiplexes such as E-Square, Inox and City Pride said it would take another 7-10 days to open, “as the biggest problem is operational readiness to start, no new movie content, expired contracts with housekeeping staffers and opening of the establishments at a limited 50% customer capacity”.
Neerav Panchamia, chief operating executive, E-Square Leisure Private Limited, told TOI that the E Square Multiplex in Pune might not open before 7-10 days. “Apart from logistics, another big problem is no new content to screen. People would not be too excited about viewing old movies at a regular ticket price. At 50% seating capacity, our overheads will still be on. Also, no multiplexes are likely to open before the standard operating procedures (SOPs) from the government come. In short, multiplexes cannot open till they do the entire exercise of staff mobilization and testing, clean-up and sanitization of premises,” he said.
A source from INOX Leisure Limited in Pune said, “It may take a week or so for us to start in Pune for reasons such as operational readiness, sanitization, technical preparations and manpower.”
Deepak Kudale, president of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India, said, “All single screen theatre owners in Pune have decided to start operations only after a Covid-19 vaccine becomes available and the government gives us subsidies. We have taken this decision based on many factors: expenditure on sanitization and following SOPs, single screen theatres are already facing losses, limited audience is expected due to social distancing and no or limited number of new (movie) releases.”
“We can now take action to set the wheels in motion,” Prakash Chaphalkar, secretary of the Multiplex Association of India, said. “Theatre owners have not yet called their employees back, while some have even disconnected electricity supply. Housekeeping staff and contractors will now be recalled. SOPs will be set in place. So business will not resume immediately.”
“Also, do remember that the new notification prohibits eatables inside theatres,” Chaphalkar said. “As a result of Covid-19 restrictions, I feel reopening will be very basic. Fewer screens will be populated. For instance, morning shows may be few and far between. Even at prime time, we will have to finalise which content to show. I don’t see any new movies releasing at Diwali. It is a laborious task and we are staring at a loss-making proposition for the next one month at least. We will have to entice viewers with schemes and sops and perhaps lower admission rates.”
Nearly 10 days after the state allowed gymnasiums to open, the government allowed yoga institutes to open as well. Group cardio exercises like zumba and dance classes were not allowed. “With yoga it is possible to keep distance between two people, but with cardio exercises like zumba and dance it is not possible,” an official said.
Swimming pools have been allowed only for training of state-, national- and international-level sportspersons.
All indoor facilities for sports such as badminton, tennis, squash and indoor shooting ranges will be allowed with physical distancing and sanitation measures. “Maharashtra has slowly and steadily unlocked most of the activities,” an official said. “The only sectors that are left to open up are places of worship and educational institutes and a decision on those will be taken post-Diwali.”