Gopalan Cinemas

Up in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Gopalan Cinemas is where we work. It’s a movie theater, so our schedule is different from most people’s. We’re often here late into the night. The smell of popcorn is pretty much stuck in our clothes forever. We spend a lot of time sweeping between the rows of seats. You’d be surprised at what people leave behind—mostly empty packets and spilled drinks. The projectors need a lot of looking after so they don't overheat or glitch out. We have a routine for when the movies end and the crowds come out into the lobby. It gets loud for twenty minutes, then it’s quiet again until the next show. The Rajarajeshwari Nagar location is a good spot, and we see families coming in every weekend. We don't have fancy uniforms or anything, just our regular clothes. The lobby floor is shiny, but it takes a lot of buffing to keep it that way. Sometimes the AC acts up and we have to go poke at the units on the roof. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s interesting to see what movies people actually like. We just keep the reels turning and the lights dim when they should be. It’s just what we do here day after day, making sure the screens are clear and the sound works. Sometimes the ticket machine jams, but we usually get it fixed before the next group shows up.