BHOPAL: Cinema halls and multiplexes opened to a lukewarm response from the public on Thursday, coinciding with the release of ‘Bell Bottom’
Multiplexes and single screen cinemas have stayed shut for most of the 18 months of the Covid pandemic, the shutdown beginning with the nation-wide lockdown in March 2020. People are still cautious although the government has allowed cinemas to reopen with struct Covid precautions.
It was a small beginning on Thursday with the hope that things will get better.
While cinema hall owners were more frank in expressing their disappointment over the response, Amber Saxena, general manager of Inox multiplex, which is screening the film in Capital Mall, appeared to be optimistic, saying, “Expecting the response of pre-Covid times is futile at the moment but people are coming for the shows. Cinemas have been allowed to operate after the second wave and there was greater presence for ‘Bell Bottom’ today”. Not all multiplexes have opened, though.
President, Bhopal Cine Association, Deepak Simhal, said response continues to be “poor”. There is apprehension that cinemas may be closed down again if the third wave hits.
“Though there are films like Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Chehare’ and the next edition of ‘Fast & Furious’ ahead, if all the theatres start showing the same films, it won’t be viable even if more people start coming to cinemas and multiplexes,” he said.
Bunny Singh, owner of Rangmahal Cineplex, which is also open for business’, appeared disappointed by the turnout. Talking to TOI, he said “Only 15 to 20 people are sitting to watch the film. Days of cinema halls are over. The producer has released the film on OTT platform as well. They want to recover the money they have invested in making the film. But, cinema halls can’t be run this way, they will close down again.”
Pragya Pathak, who was among the first to buy a ticket at Jyoti Cineplex along with her friend Bhavya Mishra, when asked how she is feeling coming to the cinema hall to watch a film after such a long gap, said “We were not bereft of entertainment even while the cinema halls were closed. We were watching films on OTT platforms but cinema halls have opened after such a long time, we thought let’s watch a film in cinema halls before the third wave comes and we are prohibited from coming to cinema halls once again”. Bhavya said, “I am very happy. Being an actor I know it’s a different feeling watching a film on the big screen.”
Like every other sector, those connected with the business of cinema are also keeping their fingers crossed and praying that vaccination halts the third wave.
