Last Sunday, along with a group of friends, I went to watch the 2012 movie at a leading cinema. Since it was a 6 p.m. movie on a Sunday, it was no surprise to see a packed crowd inside the theatre.

The real surprise was handed to us at the end of the movie. Entry to the theatre had taken place through two doors from inside the cinema but we were instructed to exit through emergency doors next to the screens. At first only one was opened but after a few minutes an employee opened the second one. The thought of needing to use these exits in an emergency is appalling.

I have my doubts as to whether the stairs are made of appropriate material because the common feeling was that in case of water being used to extinguish a fire, the stairs would become slippery and thus dangerous. What shocked us most was the fact that in a three-storey staircase, there were no fire extinguishers.

The only thing that this could make us think of it as an emergency exit was the presence of emergency neons. Frankly, after watching 2012, if the events depicted in the movie should become reality, then I'm sure I'll want to be as far away as possible from that emergency exit.

This is not a case of pointing fingers but a wish that safety standards are improved. Too many times we see cases where emergency exits are either locked, blocked or even non-existent. Health and safety procedures should be given a priority not just at the place of work but even at places of entertainment.