Covid-19: Cinemas to roll out the red carpet with hit reruns

With safety of their patrons, while ensuring compliance of all SoPs , still remaining their prime concern, the management of various cinemas across the state have another, probably bigger, headache — what content to run on their big screens, as no fresh titles had been released ever since the pandemic started.

Seven months after being completely shut down owing to the raging Covid-19 pandemic, cinema halls — both big screens and multiplexes — are ready to glow back to life in Delhi, starting Thursday.

A worker chemically disinfects a cinema hall at PVR ICON during a press preview of preparedness for reopening halls amid the Covid-19 pandemic, at DLF Promenade Mall, Vasant Kunj, in New Delhi on October 14, 2020. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

With safety of their patrons, while ensuring compliance of all SoPs , still remaining their prime concern, the management of various cinemas across the state have another, probably bigger, headache — what content to run on their big screens, as no fresh titles had been released ever since the pandemic started. Most filmmakers have been testing waters and gauging audience reaction by pushing their content exclusively online since.

The quick fix solution that most halls have hence come up with — reruns of old hits.

HT spoke to the management of some cinemas and figured that films that fared well last year and in the beginning of this year before the shutdown, like Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, Taapsee Pannu’s Thappad, Ayushmann Khurrana’s Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, will make a return to the big screens. In addition to this, Oscar-winning movie Parasite, and Bloodshot, too were a common choice among many. PVR cinemas will also be screening Malang, Section 375, Dream Girl, John Wick, Joker and 1917, while INOX has opted to go for Malang, Chhichhore, Dream Girl, Mission Mangal, Lion King and Ford v Ferrari.

Carnival Cinemas, on the other hand, is doing a mix and match according to their target audience in the given area. Kunal Sawhney, senior vice president (operations) Carnival Cinemas, said, “We’ve picked some old blockbusters, like Simmba, Chhichhore, Malang, Section 375, and would run them depending upon which movie fits best in which pocket. So, cinemas in Delhi would be screening a different movie, when compared to a cinema in Gurugram or Kanpur. We just want customers to come and see that the cinema experience was safe again. We’re only want to win back their confidence this particular week.”

Devang Sampat, India CEO, Cinepolis, said that for the opening week, they’d be playing regional titles and library content from Bollywood. “Besides, we’re also planning a 3D film festival.”

Single screen theatre Delite will reopen with Akshay Kumar’s Housefull 4, Varun Dhawan’s Street Dancer and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. Raj Kumar Mehrotra, CEO, Delite Cinemas said, “We’re hoping at least 10% to 20% occupancy this week. Usually pre-Diwali weekends are dull, but on October 23 or October 30, we have a couple of English titles lined up —including The New Mutants, a Disney film. Also, two other English titles — Tenet and Mulan — that have already released overseas, are in the pipeline and will be released on or after Diwali. Other than these, several regional language films have been finalised but that’ll be concentrated area-wise.”

As for new releases, theatres are counting on four titles for Diwali weekend, out 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.

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures said, “We are reopening and releasing Hollywood film My Spy, which is a brand new title.”