The Covid-19 situation once again has started to deteriorate especially in the entertainment capital, Mumbai. The cases have risen exponentially in the last 10 days, compelling the authorities to reimpose certain restrictions in the city. This is especially taking in mind that tomorrow is December 31, that is, New Year’s Eve, when citizens are in a mood to gather and party. Realizing that such a situation can lead to widespread Covid-19 cases, the Mumbai Police has imposed Section 144 in the city. Earlier in the day, restaurants and parties were not asked to avoid gatherings and parties.
And now, Bollywood Hungama has found out that the cinema halls, too, have been asked to follow certain restrictions, albeit only for December 31. A source from a multiplex told Bollywood Hungama, “We have been told that no show should be played beyond 8:00 pm tomorrow. Meaning, the last show of the day should begin before 8:00 pm, say at 7:30 pm or 7:45 or 7:55 pm."
The source continued, "We had got a lot of bookings for night shows of 83, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 for tomorrow. As these shows stand cancelled, we'll refund the money to the viewers. Since the time we have been informed about this directive, we have stopped selling tickets of tomorrow's night shows at the box office counter."
The number of daily Covid-19 cases crossed the 3000 mark today in Mumbai. Delhi, meanwhile, has already shut down cinemas since Tuesday. The source said, "As of now, we are told to follow this rule only for a day, on December 31. We hope that in the coming days, the authorities don't impose restrictions or don't ask us to shut down. We had just restarted two months back, after all”.
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source https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/cinemas-mumbai-told-not-play-shows-800-pm-december-31/