New Delhi:
On the eve of the opening of cinema halls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hoped on Wednesday that they would adhere to the coronavirus safety guidelines, and follow protocols of social distancing and sanitisation. At a meeting with the representatives of cinema hall associations here, Kejriwal said the people and the associations would have to work together to revive the economy of Delhi.
“I hope that the cinema halls will strictly adhere to the guidelines and SOPs (standard operating procedures) of the central, as well as the state government,” he said. “It’s extremely necessary to follow the social distancing and sanitisation protocols in the cinema halls.” The chief minister said the last seven months were very tough for Delhi, which has fought a “very tough” and a “strong battle” against the pandemic. “The most important thing is getting Delhi’s economy, which was dismantled due to the lockdown, back on track. We cannot stay in lockdown forever, we have to open the economy of Delhi.” The meeting was attended by representatives from theatre companies like PVR, Inox and others, who assured the chief minister of full adherence to all the guidelines.
Ushering in a new era of movie watching, the Centre allowed multiplexes, cinema halls and theatres to reopen from Thursday within the framework of a set of SOPs. The Ministry of Home Affairs left it to states to take a final call on the matter. Sushant Singh Rajput’s last theatrical release “Chhichhore” is among the films that will have a big screen re-release as cinemas in several parts of the country get ready to open after seven months in the shadow of a pandemic.
As per the guidelines, cinemagoers will have to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile. There is a complete ban on eating and drinking while watching the film. The audience will have to be seated according to alternative seating arrangements and there will be a cross mark on the seat that cannot be occupied. The entire system of purchasing tickets will be online and the air conditioning will be adjusted as per laid down guidelines. Entry and exit gates, seats, and lobbies will be sanitised from time to time and the cinema halls will be cleaned after every show, it said.
Everyone in the cinema hall will be required to stay in masks and management will have to provide sanitisers to the viewers, it added.
