NEW DELHI: The ongoing crisis because of the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has been impacting global businesses adversely. In India, several places, including Delhi, Bangalore, and Maharashtra, have taken actions like shutting down malls and cinema halls to control the epidemic that has taken more than seven thousand lives globally. Along with it, several big production houses have deferred the releases of films, including Sooryavanshi and A Quiet Place 2, to contain the situation. Additionally, the box office numbers were below average for latest releases Baaghi 3 and English Medium.
This certainly is straining the business of cinema houses and can appear as a red mark in their cash registers when the quarter closes. However, the officials at INOX are not bothered about monetary losses right now and are hoping that they will be able to make up for it when the situation settles down. In an exclusive interaction with Indiantelevision.com, INOX revealed, “Our financials are a function of content. The better the content, the better will be the numbers. The quarter so far has seen the influence of good content, moderate content, and health-related concerns. We completely respect and appreciate the health concerns, and hope that we are able to compensate their hunger for cinematic entertainment once the concerns wane off.”
The cinema chain is positive that after this momentary glitch, people flock the cinemas once normalcy settles. “There is no doubt that the current situation demands a lot of our attention and focus, and therefore, we are channelising and committing our energies into ensuring a safe and healthy cinema-viewing experience for our guests. But at the same time, we firmly believe that with all the precautions and medical know-how, collectively, we will see through this impermanent phase. Thanks to the unparalleled passion and love for the cinemas, we have always been extremely optimistic about the business. Once the situation normalises, and the movie releases get back on their schedule, we are sure that our guests will start thronging the cinemas as they do always.”
For those cinema houses that are still functioning across the country, INOX is taking special preventive measures to take care of the health of their employees and customers. “We have increased the frequency of our housekeeping and daily deep cleaning routines. Disinfectants are being used for sanitising and wiping all touchpoints like food countertops, box office counters, armrests, grab rails, door handles & knobs, light switches, and other frequently used equipment. Kitchen stewarding processes have been intensified and are being carried out with utmost care,” said an Inox spokesperson.
