Are you excited to go the theatres when they re-open from October 15? If yes, then you definitely need to read this one. For starters going to theatres won’t be the same as before. The government has released some SOPs aka rules to be followed by the theatre owners during UNLOCK 5.0
These rules will have impact not just on the theatres but on us, the audience, too. Firstly, the concept of houseful is now different since the theatre are allowed to operate at 50% occupancy only. Moreover, physical distancing is to be followed not just in queue when purchasing the ticket but also while seating inside the hall.
There will be seats marked as “Not to be occupied”. The temperature within the hall will be in the range of 24°-30°C only, so yeah it may get a bit hot for those who prefer a chilled space.
There will be provision for hand wash and sanitizers in the cinema hall premises. You temperature will be checked and only asymptomatic people will be allowed inside. People will have to follow proper respiratory etiquettes and spitting will be a strict ‘No, No’.
You might be able to find more counters at the box office for purchasing the tickets as has been instructed to avoid crowding. Also, the ticket counters will remain open throughout the day and you can make bookings in advance too. And yeah digital is the preferred and encouraged mode of payment.
The government advices all to have Aarogya Setup app installed on your smart phones. You’ll also have to provide your contact details in order to facilitate contact tracing. Anyone found stigmatising and behaving in an unruly manner with someone who had been related to COVID-19 will be dealt with in a strict manner.
Isn’t going to theatres and watching movie feel incomplete without that customary popcorn and cold drink? Well there are certain changes in the food & beverage section too. Theatres will be allowed to sell only packaged food and beverages. Here too there will be multiple counters to purchase food items, but yeah, no delivery inside the hall will be available anymore.
Feels like going to movies is going to be one hell of a task. But these measures are necessary for our own safety. Many have argued in the favour of cinemas citing the theatrical experience as the major thing that the much popular OTT platforms aren’t able to offer. So, are you planning to catch a show in a theatre near you?
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