Delhi: Cinemas shut, malls wary of dip in footfall

A staff member at V3S Mall in Nirman Vihar said only about a third of the seats in the theatre were being filled since past four-five days. At Carnival Cinemas in Connaught Place, a staff said ticket sales have almost halved since a week. At PVR Plaza in Connaught Place, a staff member said, “We have not been told if we will get our full salaries. We have been asked to come to work tomorrow, but have no details about the days after that.”

As the news of the government’s announcement began coming in, officials at multiplexes, including Inox, Carnival and Cineplex, said customers who have made advance bookings would get a full refund.

Meanwhile, shopping malls have begun taking steps to sanitise the premises. Staff at DLF Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj are being provided hand sanitisers and masks, while lifts, railings, counters and washrooms are being cleaned with a strong chemical with high alcohol content, said a spokesperson. Body temperatures of staff are being checked daily, he added.

Similar measures are being taken at Select Citywalk mall at Saket, where hand sanitisers are being provided to staff and visitors. A spokesman from the mall’s security said, “We have been given devices to check temperature — one official is at each entry point keeping a watch on customers. If they look ill, we check them, and even provide them masks.”