Chennai, November 3: The Tamil Nadu government has passed an order allowing theatres in the state to schedule six shows per day for newly released films for a week from the day of release, with shows permitted from 6 am to 2:30 am the next day, Cinema Express reported, citing the government order.
Source: Cinema Express
The order also says the same arrangement can be followed on weekends, state festival holidays and public holidays. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay approved the change after the government held deliberations on requests from the film industry, according to the government release cited in reports.
Source: Telugu360
From four shows to six
Under the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1957, framed under the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1955, theatres in the state were permitted to schedule four shows per day. After the present government took over, theatres were allowed five shows a day for a newly released Tamil film during its first week, and five shows on local festival days, public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tuesday's order raises that ceiling to six.
The government passed the order after accepting petitions from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association, the Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association. Reports said the industry bodies had sought six screenings a day, from 6 am to 2:30 am the next day, for one week from a film's release.
The order raises the number of shows but has not approved the proposed ticket price hike that theatre owners had also sought, Telugu360 reported. Theatres do not need separate prior permission to screen six shows under the new order.
The new order is expected to take effect beginning with the new releases lined up for the upcoming Diwali festival, with the additional early-morning and late-night shows giving big releases a wider opening-week window.