PVR Cinemas will reopen on July 30 in states and Union Territories where multiplexes and theatres have been allowed to operate, the company said on July 29.

“To encourage and thank people who got vaccinated during the nationwide vaccination drive, PVR has introduced a ‘JAB Offer’ in the first week of reopening where one vaccinated guest can get another ticket free on select content as well as one F&B Combo free with the purchase of another,” the company announced.

PVR will open with 100 percent vaccinated cinema staff and will strictly adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, it said.

The stock price of PVR rallied over 3 percent after the announcement of the June quarter earnings. At 3:15 pm, the shares were trading 1.64 percent higher at Rs 1,357.90 apiece on the BSE.

In the first three weeks of opening, PVR would be screening Hollywood content like Mortal Kombat, The Suicide Squad 2, Promising Young Woman, The Conjuring: The Devil made me do It, and Old. On new releases in August, PVR said, other Hollywood movies like Fast & Furious 9, The Croods: A New Age and Nobody are in the pipeline.

On the reopening, Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director, PVR Ltd said, “Post the second wave, our key focus has been on ensuring 100% vaccinations of our staff for their own well-being as well as patrons. We are excited to re-open and the slate for this year looks promising.”

Bijli said the strategy is to showcase maximum content across screens to meet the pent-up demand. So, with big-ticket Bollywood and regional films awaiting announcement by producers and internationally released Hollywood Content as cinemas open up post the second wave, the firm expects the movie going habits to return among patrons.

“The focus now will be to encourage vaccination alongside introducing our new offerings as we begin to win back the confidence of our audience back to Big Screen entertainment,” he added.

Speaking about the safety measures, the company said, in addition to vaccinated staff, PVR will continue to maintain stringent hygiene protocols, social distancing and food safety measures, along with minimal human contact across all touchpoints.

Chequered Audi seating with only 50 percent occupancy as per state government protocols, social distancing marked queuing, digital contact-less transactions, operating 50 percent of the restroom facilities, installation of fibre and glass shields are among the safety initiatives the PVR intnds to follow.

(Edited by : Kanishka Sarkar)

First Published:Jul 29, 2021 3:27 PM IST