Coimbatore: R Sivam, 40, a resident of Saibaba Colony, was excited ever since the state government announced the plans to reopen cinema theatres. And he has been waiting to watch a movie on the first day itself.
On Tuesday, he took leave from work, stepped out of his house around 9am, and visited a few theatres in and around Gandhipuram. But to his disappointment, they were not screening any movies. Finally, he managed to watch the first show at the PVR Cinemas at Brookfields in the city.
While a few like him thronged the theatres, the overall response was lukewarm on the first day. Also, only a handful of theatres functioned in the district on the day.
M Subramaniam, president, Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association, said, “Only 40 of the 169 screens in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Erode and Tirupur districts functioned on the first day, when only recent hit movies were screened. Many did not reopen the theatres as they did not want to screen old movies.”
Most of the theatres are expected to operate from Friday or Saturday, as new movies would be released for Diwali. He said all the theatres were ready for operation by adhering to the standard operating procedures issued by the government.
Pointing out that the theatres would function only with 50% occupancy, Subramaniam said even members of a family would be seated only on alternate seats and the same has been updated on ticket booking applications.
The public would be admitted to the theatres only after screening them for temperature. “We will ensure that they are wearing face masks and following other precautionary measures prescribed by the government,” he said.
K Rajamannar, president, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris and Erode Distributors’ Association, says the theatres usually draw only less crowd before the Diwali as people are more interested in shopping. “The situation will be the same this year too. But we are confident that the number of people visiting the theatres will increase gradually, as nothing can replace the experience of watching a movie in theatre.”
S Rajkumar, duty manager, PVR Cinemas, said they had taken all precautionary measures to prevent the infection at the theatre. “We have covered door handles and hand rails with antimicrobial films and adopted a paperless ticket system. We have reduced the ticket price by Rs 30 as we are screening only old movies.”
D Saravana Kumar, 40, a moviegoer, said he decided to watch the first show as he felt the theatre would be cleaned and maintained neatly. “I just wanted to enjoy the experience of watching a movie in the theatre and I wasn’t concerned whether it was an old movie or a new one.”