GUWAHATI: The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) appealed to the centre to reopen cinema halls once again using the hashtag #UnlockCinemaSaveJobs.
The Multiplex Association says that the movie exhibition sector that provides employment to lakhs of people had lost an estimated Rs 9,000 crore in the last six months. The cinema body, which represents all the multiplex chains, including, PVR, INOX and Cinepolis, said the sector directly employs more than two lakh people and provides employment to lakhs indirectly.
Amid rising COVID-19 cases in the country, under the government's Unlock 4 guidelines, cinema chains have not been given permission to operate.
The film body said malls, airlines, railways, retail, restaurants, gyms, and many such services have already restarted as part of ‘Unlock India’. In the fourth phase of unlocking, bars and metro services also opened up.
The association, which in July introduced several SoPs such as paperless tickets, seat distancing, staggered intervals, regulated entry, and exit and regular sanitization to make cinemas a safe place to visit, reiterated that it is equipped with better abilities to ensure crowd management in "stringent hygienic environments while maintaining applicable social distancing norms".
“Millions work behind the scenes, to make dreams come to life on the big screen. Their jobs are at stake. Please reopen cinemas immediately,” INOX Leisure said while sharing the appeal.
