3 days ago
No more early morning shows for big-ticket Tamil films even outside TN
Chennai: There will be no more 4.30am release of Tamil films even outside the state. Tamil Nadu stopped early morning release of big budget films in 2023 when a fan died in a stampede at 'Thunivu' screening.
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Yet, producers continued to have releases at 4.30am in other states, while keeping the 9am show as the first show within Tamil Nadu.
Now, big-ticket films, including Kamal Hassan's ;Thug Life;, will only hit screens from 9am onwards. Producers blame poor security in neighbouring states, rising theatre vandalism, low booking commissions for theatres, and paid reviews before release, affecting the bookings adversely.
Even Ajith's Good Badly Ugly and Suriya's Retro had only 9 am releases.
S R Prabhu, producer with Dream Warrior Pictures, said early morning shows are getting regulated in all states. "It's a challenge to secure police security for such early shows in other states. Fans come in craze, and mishaps tend to happen. So, many prefer not to have such shows early in the day," he said.
Prabhu mentioned that paid influencers and YouTube reviewers who attend such shows give exaggerated reviews, both positive and negative, for reach.
"So, even before a movie is released, it affects the booking. We just want people to directly view the show instead of getting influenced by such reviews," he said.
Thiruppur Kumaran, representing Tamil Nadu Theater and Multiplex Owners Association, said fans come drunk and end up vandalising the seats and screens. "We cannot control the frenzy on such occasions. It's better to have morning shows," he said.
People from Coimbatore mostly go to Kerala to watch, while those in Krishnagiri go to Bengaluru. Fans from Chennai go to Nagari in Andhra Pradesh to catch early shows. Prabhu also added that when fan clubs book in bulk, theatres don't get booking commissions.
