Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 25, 2020)

The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted all aspects of our lives, be it personal or social. Entertainment, especially cinema-viewing, is expected to undergo major changes in the post-lockdown world, with a lot of safety measures in place. Over the last few days, different arms of cinema production, distribution and exhibition chains have been holding virtual conferences to discuss the details of the post-lockdown phase. Akshaye Rathi, a single-screen exhibitor, who has moderated two-three such sessions, says that fighting the fear in the minds of the audience has been a major point of discussion.

He shares, “Cinemas will follow safety measures, even if there are no directives. Multiple measures have been discussed — practising social distancing by keeping seats vacant between groups, individuals or couples, making masks and sanitisers compulsory, sanitising common areas and PPE kits for the staff.”

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Cinemas, says that winning the viewers’ confidence will be a priority for cinemas across the country. “In this situation, we have to take care of our patrons’ health and safety. We also want our supply partners and staff to be safe. Thermal checks will probably become mandatory along with sanitisation measures. It’s only natural that people will have apprehensions,” he shares.

Ruban Mathivanan of GK Cinemas, Chennai, too, believes that the post-lockdown scenario will be tricky. He says, “It could be a slow run for the first few months. Cinema is a luxury for most people and they will return to theatres only when they can afford it, though mentally, they will be eager for a big-screen experience, with caution. We have been thinking about the two-seat-gap idea, use of sanitisers, compulsory food delivery on the seat to avoid crowding at the counters and temperature checks. But we can implement these only when people come in.”

‘WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR SUPPORT’
Meanwhile, the business has also made representations to different ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking monetary help to get back on its feet. Akshaye elaborates, “Cinemas were the first to shut shop and probably, will be the last to open. I don’t see theatres becoming functional before June 15 and even after that, it will take a few months for overseas markets to open. We have reached out to the state and central governments for support. Rebates, subsidies, lower tariff rates for electricity — it could be anything or a combination of all these.”

Shashank Raizada of the Delhi Exhibitors’ Association points out, “Discretionary spending will be minimal and people will have fear at the back of their minds. Though we have big films up for release, it’s hard to say who will bell the cat. For cinemas to get back on their feet, we need government support and producers to back us with releases. Single screens in smaller cities will have a different battle to fight for survival.”
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MEASURES THAT MIGHT BE THE NEW NORMAL IN CINEMAS:

- Temperature checks, masks and gloves mandatory for audience, staff at entrance

- Sanitisers placed at accessible points

- Deep sanitisation of all screens

- Cross-seating and reduced number of tickets per screen will be maintained

- Digital transactions for tickets and F&B