Theatres in Tamil Nadu can now conduct six shows daily for new Tamil movies during their first week of release.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has approved a new order allowing theatres to screen new Tamil movies from 6 AM for one week following their release, according to reports by The Times of India and Hindustan Times.
The government order, announced on November 3, permits theatres to conduct six shows a day between 6 AM and 2:30 AM the following day. The new rules also apply to local festival days, public holidays, and weekends.
The decision follows requests from the Tamil Film Producers Council, the Tamil Film Active Producers Association, and the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association. Producer-distributor G Dhananjhayen stated on X that a request was made on October 27 to Minister Rajmohan, who obtained permission from the Chief Minister.
Early morning screenings had been restricted since an incident during the January 2023 release of Ajith Kumar's 'Thunivu', where a fan died after falling from a moving lorry in Chennai. Following that event, the government had permitted only 9 AM screenings and a maximum of five shows a day.
The revised schedule is expected to benefit Diwali releases such as 'Scene', starring Suriya, Nazriya Nazim, and Naslen, and 'Mookuthi Amman 2', starring Nayanthara and Sundar C, which are scheduled for release on November 6. It remains unclear if dubbed films, such as the Tamil release of Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana', will receive the same permissions.
