The State Government has relaxed the restriction on the number of shows between 10 am and 1 am in three multiplexes in the twin cities and permitted an increase in the number of shows from four to five during the period.
Three agencies _ Adlabs, Cinemax and PVR Cinema Limited _ have now been permitted to run five shows between 10 am and 1 am. However, the request for enhancement of the ticket price from Rs 100 to Rs 175 on a par with the rates prevailing in other major metropolitan cities in the country has been turned down by the government.
The decision to relax the rules was taken based on the representations submitted by above three agencies. In major cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh there are no such restrictions on the number of shows.
In normal cinema houses not more than four shows are allowed to be screened in a day.
According to the guidelines, screening of movies should start at 10 am and finish by 1 am (a little after midnight) in the larger interest of the film industry. Accordinglly, the AP Cinemas (Regulation) Rules, 1970 were amended restricting the number of shows to four during the 15-hour duration between 10 am and 1 am (midnight).
The agencies represented that in the earlier days only four shows could be screened in a day on account of the movies usually lasting three hours.
But with shorter length films being made nowadays the cimema houses can accommodate up to six shows in a day within the stipulated 15 working hours.
The three exhibiting agencies also wanted the State Government to allow them to raise the ticket price to at least Rs 175 on a par with the major metropolitan cities in the country, but their request was rejected the by the State Government.