Mamata Banerjee permits full occupancy in halls screening movie fest films

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday allowed full occupancy in cinema halls through the week-long Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), which was inaugurated through the day in an internet occasion attended by Hindi movie actor Shah Rukh Khan. This overrides the Centre’s guidelines permitting solely 50 per cent occupancy of theatres.
“At present, because of the pandemic, only 50 per cent occupancy in cinema halls is allowed. I would ask the state’s chief secretary to come up with a notification today so that 100 per cent seats can be occupied,” Banerjee stated on the inauguration of the twenty sixth version of the KIFF.
Mamata stated, “I would urge cinema hall owners to ensure that people wear face masks and use hand sanitisers. Sanitisation should be done after every show. Every audience member should carry his or her own sanitiser or a tissue paper. Nowadays, you also get machines with which you can sanitise the entire hall in just five minutes.”
The present set of “unlock” pointers issued by the Centre, meant to permit a phased resumption of social and financial life, is in place until January 31.