BHOPAL: After witnessing poor response from the spectators, cinema halls in Bhopal are mulling to close again from Monday. However, the only hope left for the cinema owners are new cinemas including Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Chehra' which is scheduled for release on August 27 and the action-packed 9th edition of 'Fast and Furious' on September 3.
The Bhopal Cine Association said that it is not possible to open a cinema with the presence of hardly 10% spectators. Notably, Cinema halls and multiplexes had opened to a lukewarm response from the public on August 19.
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 strict Covid precautions.
Expressing the disappointment, president of Bhopal Cine Association, Deepak Simhal said that even 10% spectators may not come from Monday. "There is only one new movie which is running in 11 cinemas (6 single screen and 5 multiplexes) across the state capital. Whatever the presence of spectators, it's because of back-to-back holidays and weekends. From Monday the spectators will be negligible. How to run cinema theatres in such a situation," said Simhal.
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. We have big hopes from Chehra and Fast and Furious 9."
Saxena said, "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."
