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Karnataka Unlock 5.0: Are cinema hall owners ready to reopen?

The Centre has announced that cinema theatres can open across the country with 50% seating capacity from October 15. However, theatre owners do not seem to be ready fearing the huge amount they will have to spend to revamp the dingy theatres before reopening.

Karnataka Unlock 5.0: Are cinema hall owners ready to reopen? -ymn
Author
Bengaluru, First Published Oct 1, 2020, 1:59 PM IST

Bengaluru: After the Union Government on Wednesday issued guidelines for Unlock 5.0, filmmakers heaved a sigh of relief as cinema halls could open from October 15 with 50% seating capacity.

However, the cinema hall owners seemed to be a little sceptical about opening facilities anytime soon.

Since more than 600 single screen cinema halls and multiplexes around the state have been shut down for more than six months now, the auditoriums look more like sets of a horror film.

The cinema halls which have not been cleaned for several months are filled with dust, moulds growing on seats, moisture and fungus growing on the screens, and have become homes to pigeons, spiders, and other bacteria.

Karnataka Unlock 5.0: Are cinema hall owners ready to reopen? -ymn

Also read: Karnataka: Rs 1000 penalty for not wearing masks likely

The cinema owners will have to spend lakhs of rupees to clean up and revamp theatres. Some cinema owners are forced to replace the chairs and screens with new ones as they have been completely damaged.

Along with the revamp of the cinema halls, the owners must spend on sanitisation of the auditoriums every day after the reopening.

With just 50% seating capacity, the owners fear they will not be able to afford the sanitization materials and the staff.

Meanwhile there are speculations that the cinema halls in Karnataka will only open after November 1 as the spike in COVID-19 cases has just been increasing every day.

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