THOOTHUKUDI/CHENNAI: THE State government has not given permission to screen special shows of any movie being released for Deepavali, minister Kadambur Raju clarified on Tuesday. Speaking to the media in Thoothukudi, the minister said there were complaints of exorbitant amounts being charged for special shows of Deepavali releases. “Some theatres are selling tickets online for 2 am, 4 am, and 7 am shows,” he said.
“The government has not given permission for any special shows.” Raju clarified the ‘rule’ was applicable to all movies being released for Deepavali, not just for Vijay-starrer Bigil, which has already become a rage among the actor’s fans.
“There’s a lot of confusion regarding screenings,” said the owner of a popular theatre famous for early morning shows. “We are allowed to screen five shows on public holidays, which makes us wonder why we need special permission. We need clarity on the minister’s statements,” he said.
The minister further said that so far, permission has not been given for any movie to host special screenings. Permission will be given only if the ticket prices fixed by the government are followed, the minister added. He also said exclusive digital sales of cinema tickets would begin soon.
Minister Kadambur C Raju added that the main aim of restricting ticket sales to the online mode was to ensure transparency, and to make sure that customers are not over-charged. “It will make the revenue earned by the government from these shows transparent,” he said, adding that so far, two meetings have been convened with theatre owners. “We could not implement the rule ahead of Deepavali as we were short of time,” he said. Owner of a popular theatre said, “There is a new rule which says we can have shows throughout the day, which makes us wonder why we need special permission. We need clarity on the minister’s statements,” he said.