Madras HC rejects early morning special show for 'Leo'

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has rejected the plea of Seven Screen Studio, the producer of Vijay starrer film 'Leo', to screen the 4 a.m. special show on the opening day and the court also directed the production company to hold talks with the government to decide the commencement of show timing.

As the government has rejected the 4 a.m. special show screening of 'Leo' on the opening day and the production company has not challenged the government order, this court rejected the opening day 4 a.m. special show, observed Justice Anita Sumanth.

Further, the judge also directed the government to reconsider the production company's request to allow the commencement of the show timing from 7 am in the morning instead of 9 a.m. from October 19 to 24.

The judge has suo motu impleaded the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners Association to ensure that all the protocols are properly followed while deciding the commencement of show timing. There should not be any compromise on the time for intervals and in between shows in the interest of public safety, observed the judge. The film production company and theater owners association were also directed to hold discussions with government officials to decide the show timing commencement.

The Public Prosecutor (PP) Hasan Mohammed Jinnah appeared for the State and submitted that the Home (Cinema) department has considered the film company's request and permitted it to screen one special show in addition to the regular 4 shows under section 11 of the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) rules, 1957.

The PP also said the rules stipulate that the show timings must be between 9 am and 1:30 am of the successive day not beyond that, hence the special one show should be screened in the stipulated time alone, he argued. The State also rejected the film company's request to allow the 4 a.m. show on the opening day of the film, to protect law and order, PP said.

He also mentioned that a fan died this year falling from a moving lorry during the early morning show celebration of a film 'Thunivu' in Chennai.

Senior counsel Srinath Sridevan, who appeared for the film production company contended that as the film duration is nearly 3 hours and the mandatory 30 minutes time gap between shows and 20 minutes interval for each show makes the screening of 5 shows between stipulated 9 am to 1:30 am is impossible to the theaters. He further sought permission for the commencement of the show from 7 a.m. rather than 9 am in the morning