Cinemas likely to reopen in August with several restrictions

Cinemas were one of the first amenities to close down when the country faced a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the country slowly eases into an unlock, cinemas could also be reopening soon. Meanwhile, sources also reveal that movie theaters and gyms could open with a lot of restrictions as part of the unlock.

Earlier reports suggest that an association of cinema halls had recommended the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to allow the re-opening of theatres. Moreover, the recommendation suggests functioning at 25 to 30 percent capacity. Film trade analyst on Sunday had revealed that there is a possibility of theatres re-opening in August. “Great news. Cinemas to get permission to reopen from 1st August, says a reliable source,” Nahta had tweeted.

India has been battling the COVID-19 outbreak and with the cases rising steadily it will be vital to ensure safety protocols during the unlock. While states like Bihar and Tamil Nadu continue to be under lockdown, Maharashtra has been seeing a steady rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state.

“We’re extremely hopeful of getting permissions starting August and hope to resume across states by the end of September,” Gautam Dutta, CEO, PVR Cinemas said in an interview to Mint.

As per the Mint report, theatre chains will remove the feature to book physical tickets in order to ensure social distancing. All the transactions will be completely digitalized. Moreover, from the moment of entering the theaters to ordering food as well as getting scanned, there a number of safety measures in check to ensure the well-being of moviegoers.