Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay issued a government order permitting extra screenings for new releases during their first week and on holidays.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has permitted cinema theatres across the state to screen up to six shows daily for new Tamil films. According to reports from Hindustan Times and Moneycontrol, the government order allows screenings to begin at 6 am and continue until 2.30 am the following day.
The decision applies to the first week of a film's release, as well as during weekends, public holidays, and local festival days. Previously, under the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1957, theatres were limited to four shows per day. This limit had been eased to five shows for the opening week and holidays after the current government took office.
The move follows requests from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association, the Tamil Film Producers Council, and the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association. These industry bodies sought more shows to meet demand for new releases, including upcoming Diwali films such as Scene, Mookuthi Amman 2, and Ramayana.
Producer-distributor G Dhananjhayen stated on X that the permission was obtained within a week of a request made on October 27. While the order benefits new Tamil releases, it remains unclear if dubbed Tamil films will receive the same advantage.
The state government intends to propose amendments to the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Rules to formalise these changes. Until the amendment process is complete, theatres must follow existing licensing and safety frameworks.
