Tamil Nadu permits 6 AM cinema shows and sets Diwali firecracker timings
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has authorised early morning film shows while the TNPCB restricts firecracker bursting to two one-hour windows.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has issued a government order permitting 6 AM cinema shows for new Tamil films for one week from their release, according to the Hindustan Times. The order allows six shows daily between 6 AM and 2:30 AM the following day. This change applies to local festival days, public holidays, and weekends.
The decision follows requests from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association, the Tamil Film Producers Council, and the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association. Previously, only four shows were permitted under the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1957, following a stampede incident during the release of Ajith Kumar’s Thunivu in 2023.
Separately, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has announced restricted timings for Diwali firecracker bursting. As reported by Urban Acres, the TNPCB has allowed fireworks only from 6 AM to 7 AM and 7 PM to 8 PM. This two-hour window has been followed in the state since 2018.
The TNPCB has urged residents to use low-emission green crackers and avoid high-decibel or continuous-bursting joined crackers. Residents must also avoid lighting fireworks near hospitals, places of worship, silence zones, hutments, and fire-prone areas.
To ensure compliance, the TNPCB has involved the state police, district collectors, municipal corporations, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises department. Resident welfare associations planning community bursting in open grounds must obtain prior permission from local bodies or district administrations.
The new cinema rules will benefit films such as Scene, Mookuthi Amman 2, and Ramayana, which are scheduled for release on November 6.