With theatres and cinema halls getting the nod of the Ministry of Home Affairs to reopen, multiplex chain Inox has launched private cinema experiences at its operational screens across the country. As part of this service, customers will be able to reserve an entire Inox auditorium for friends or family.
Inox said in a statement that this service may be availed by customers at the date and time of their choice, at any of the operational INOX cinemas across the country. Inox is also allowing customers making the booking to choose the content, either from the current playlist or an old movie.
“INOX aims to curate memorable banqueting experiences with features like a welcome by the cinema team, welcome message on the screen and even the choice of photography and cake on demand,” the company said in a statement.
The price for private screenings starts at Rs 2,999, with a minimum of two guests and the maximum number of guests allowed would be upto 50% of the auditorium capacity.
As part of Unlock 5, the MHA allowed reopening of theatres from October 15 across the country with 50% capacity. While the final decision of reopening theatres lies with states, some states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat have allowed reopening. Accordingly, Inox’s screens in these states are operational.
“We believe that a large segment of our audiences would feel more comfortable enjoying a movie, with just their family members and friends, or even by themselves. Driven by our desire to offer the best and the most unique experiences to our guests, we are excited to roll out the private screening services. Private screenings will allow us to delight our guests with highly personalised and exclusive experiences, with date and time of their choice, co-audiences of their choice and content of their choice,” Inox’s Chief Marketing Officer Saurabh Varma said.
To book these shows, people will have to write to tickets@inoxmovies.com, or reach out to the cinema duty manager, or book through Inox’s website.
The Union Government issued guidelines on reopening of movie theatres, stating that face masks will be mandatory inside the cinema halls and while watching the movie, and that alternate seats will be left vacant for physical distancing.
As per guidelines, shows are supposed to have a staggered timetable for different screens, and thermal screening will be done, allowing only asymptomatic individuals inside.
Inox, on its part, has said that it is following all safety measures and ensuring frequent deep cleaning and disinfection of all customer touch points including box office, entry gate, lobby, auditorium, food and beverage counters, restrooms and exit gates.
As a part of new safety standards, the protocols like mandatory mask, temperature check, e-tickets, contactless payment and entry, enhanced air-filtration etc have been implemented as well.