Sudhir Suryawanshi / Mumbai Mirror

• You’ll be finding that out in a matter of weeks. The state government has put a safety-security panel in place to conduct surpise checks on cinema halls across the city; those violating norms will be served closing notices

Mumbai, Sep 6: If you are haunted by dark fears even as you watch a movie at a posh multiplex, here’s a happy twist — the state government has appointed a committee headed by former PWD principal secretary N V Merani to probe complaints that many of the city’s cinema houses do not follow fire security and safety norms.

Obviously, all’s not well with the mushrooming of multiplexes and the concurrent cinema boom — the state government’s urban development department has received complaints from citizens that most theatres do not follow fire safety norms and that at some halls, corridors and balconies are too narrow for people to walk comfortably.

“Considering the complaints, we will inspect all theatres for facilities like seating space, security, parking slots and screening time. If we find cinema halls — old ones as well as new multiplexes — not following norms, they will be closed down,” said Ramanand Tiwari, principal secretary, urban development department.

The committee will make surprise inspections of cinema halls, and check fire safety norms, and whether balconies and corridors have enough space for people to move about in an emergency.

Halls found violating safety rules stipulated in the Mumbai Cinema tographic Act, 1952, will be served closure notices. If cinema hall owners make new demands and want changes, those would be incorporated in the revised Cinematographic Act.

Tiwari said when a show ends, huge crowds gather on the road outside a theatre and create a traffic jam.

If at the same time schools, colleges and offices nearby are closing, the traffic gets worse.

“To solve this problem, the state government may ask theatre-owners to change movie screening times,” he added, specifying that the rules would be made to suit theatre-owners, cinema-lovers and residents of an area.

Sanjay Daliya, spokeperson for Cinemax (BP Operation) refused to comment on the proposed move to inspect theatres and revise rules.

A civic officer said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will bear the committee’s expenditure, including vehicles and allowances, and that the panel’s recommendations are likely to be included in the city’s development plan.

Meanwhile, Merani, who is supposed to submit his report in three months, said he hadn’t received a letter announcing his appointment to the commitee.