TN govt announces easing of more curbs, theatres allowed with 100 pc capacity from Nov 1

Chennai, Oct 24 (Agency) This news will will bring music to the ears of the theatre owners across the State as the Tamil Nadu government, taking into account the dip in daily COVID cases, announced functioning of cinema theatres with 100 per cent capacity from November one. With a couple of films lined up for release on the occasion of Diwali festival, including the much-awaited Rajinikanth’s ‘Annnathe’, the theatre owners are happy that the state government has decided to operate theatres with full capacity. ‘Annathe’ was produced by SUN pictures, which is said to be very close to the ruling DMK, and distributed by actor-politician Udhayanidhi Stalin’s film company Red Giant movies.

With several films vying with each other to get maximum screens, audiences will be back to the theatres after a gap of nearly 20 months, as theatres were shut across the state in view of the COVID lockdown. Though the state government had allowed functioning of theatres with 50 per cent capacity by following the Standard Operating Procedures, the response from the public was not that much encouraging and several films were released on OTT platforms. Apart from allowing theatres to function with 100 per cent capacity, Chief Minister M K Stalin, while announcing further relaxations said schools for Classes one to eight would function on shift/rotation basis from November one as announced earlier. As there has been demands to open the schools after Diwali on November four, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Puyyamozhi clarified that the students will not be compelled to attend physical classes. Mr Stalin also announced that all buses (inter- and intra-district), including air-conditioned, could be operated ply with 100 per cent seating capacity, except those bound for Kerala, where the covid caseload is on the higher side. However, the ban on festivals and political events will continue till further orders.