Empty seats greet Noida, Ghaziabad multiplexes’ ‘muhurat shot’

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: Even as theatres in GB Nagar and Ghaziabad reopened nine and 15 screens, respectively, for viewers on Friday, they received very little response from moviegoers.
After staying closed for nearly seven months, while theatres opened with old releases, operators were more focused on implementing the government guidelines on Covid-19.

In Noida, Logix Mall, which has 15 screens, reopened with just five screens on Friday to test the ground and Gaur City Mall opened just two screens.Ansal Plaza in Greater Noida also started just two screens of four screens On Friday day. “Out of 41 PVR screens, we just started with nine on Friday. Previous PVR releases have been played out and we are testing the ground. The footfall was very less and we didn't want to rush initially. We will start things in phases. So not all halls will open at once,” a spokesperson for PVR cinemas said.
Meanwhile, in Ghaziabad, 15 multiplexes reopened on Friday with screening from 11.30am onwards. PVR Opulent Mall started screening shows from 11.30 with Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan followed by Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and Thappad. In total, the theatre screened five shows on Friday.
Manish Koushik, PVR cinema manager at Opulent Mall in Ghaziabad, told TOI that they followed all guidelines set by the MHA. “Under the new safety protocols, moviegoers have to wear masks, have Aarogya Setu apps downloaded on their phones and avoid gatherings in lobbies or anywhere inside the theatre premises. A gap of at least one seat is mandatory; intermissions are longer for easier movement and auditoriums are sanitised after every screening,” he said, adding that even with a capacity of 260 seats in one auditorium, only 130 seats were available. “Of the 130 seats, only 10% seats were booked,” he added.
TOI also spoke with a group of moviegoers who said that they were tired of the monotony. Atul Shukla, who was with a friend, said, “I have already watched this movie at home but came to the hall as we missed the big screen experience.”
Vinayak, who was also accompanied by friends, said, “It was a very different experience. We were seated with ample space between us. It was safe and there was hardly any crowd. Our show had just 15-20 people.”
While most cinema halls and multiplexes are planning to keep most of the screens closed, they are awaiting new releases to start all screens. However, theaters in Pacific Mall, Kaushambi, and Mahagun Metro Mall were not open for audiences on Friday. A spokesperson for Pacific Mall said that most of the people had watched all the movies in their home during lockdown. “We are waiting for some big release to open our screens. We expect new releases to start coming in by the next few days. Given that, we are entering the festive season, there is a lot of fresh movie content waiting to be released,” he added.
As for new releases, theatres are counting on four titles for Diwali weekend, of which Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari has already been announced. Then there’s Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Tuesdays And Fridays, Indoo Ki Jawani and YRF’s Bunty Aur Babli 2 that are likely to hit the big screens.