Vijay in a still from ‘The Greatest of All Time’. Photo: Special Arrangement
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) permitted AGS Entertainment Private Limited, the producers of actor-cum-politician Vijay-starrer GOAT (The Greatest of All Time) to screen special shows at 9 a.m. in all cinema theatres across Tamil Nadu on Thursday (September 5, 2024) and Friday (September 6, 2024).
The Home (Cinema) department issued a Government Order (GO) for relaxing the rules and permitting all cinema theatres, screening the movie, to play five shows (instead of four) a day on Thursday (September 5, 2024) and Friday (September 6, 2024) with the first show beginning at 9 a.m. and the last show ending at 2 a.m.
Home Secretary Dheeraj Kumar stated that AGS Entertainment had made a request on August 24, 2024 for permitting the special shows on the first two days of the movie’s release and therefore, the Commissioner of Revenue Administration was requested to offer remarks on such request.
The Commissioner had recommended that the government could consider the request positively after making proper security arrangements in order to ensure hassle free ingress and egress of the audience. The Commissioner had also impressed upon the need to maintain hygiene and avoiding overcrowding.
On receipt of the recommendation, the government decided to exercise its powers under Section 11 of the Tamil Nadu Cinemas (Regulation) Act of 1955 to exempt the licencees of cinema theatres from the condition to screen only four shows a day of any movie exhibited in their theatres.
“All cinema theatres can screen only one special show. Opening show will start at 9 a.m. and last show will end at 2 a.m. in relaxation of conditions 14 and 14A of Form C licence subject to the condition that the licencees should intimate the licensing authorities and other tax levying authorities,” the G.O. read.