HYDERABAD: The Multiplex Association of India has filed an appeal in the Telangana High Court, challenging the single judge’s order restricting children under the age of 16 from attending special movie screenings in theatres before 11 am and after 11 pm.
The association claims that this directive is causing significant financial losses to multiplex operators.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara took up the hearing on Thursday. Senior advocate S Niranjan Reddy, representing the appellant, pointed out that the state government had permitted special screenings of the film “Game Changer” and had also allowed an increase in ticket prices.
The issue arose when Gorla Bharatraj, a vegetable trader from Hyderabad, filed a petition in the high court on January 10, challenging the state’s decision to allow six shows from 4 am to 6 pm. The single judge hearing the petition expressed concerns about the adverse impact of unsupervised night screenings on children’s health and directed authorities to ensure that minors were not allowed in theatres after 11 pm.
During the proceedings, the senior advocate highlighted that the single judge had remarked that ‘multiplex’ was not a respondent in the original petition and argued that the order should be reconsidered.