No early morning shows for Leo in Tamil Nadu, govt sticks to its guns

In disappointing news to fans of Thalapathy Vijay, the Tamil Nadu government has refused to change its decision on the ban on the early morning shows in Tamil Nadu. Despite repeated efforts by the producers, the government has refused to make an exception for Leo by allowing special fan shows. 

Leo is one of the most-awaited movies of 2023. And the movie enjoys an unprecedented craze across the country, especially in Tamil Nadu. To capitalize on the fan frenzy around the movie, the producers had requested permission for more shows in the state. 

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While the government allowed five shows per day for Leo starting from October 19 to October 24, the producers were not happy. Seven Screen Studio, the producers, approached the Madras High Court asking it to direct the government to allow early morning shows, including 4 AM and 7 AM screenings.

No relief for Leo producers

The petition came up for the hearing on Wednesday. The High Court bench headed by Justice Anita Sumanth refrained from granting immediate relief for the producers . Instead, the court urged the government to reconsider its decision, acknowledging the concerns of the stakeholders. 

The movie's production team along with legal experts took a meeting with the concerned government authorities last evening. However, the producers failed to persuade the government to make an exception for Leo. 

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The ban on the culture of holding special fan shows in the state came into effect following the tragic death of a young man while celebrating the release of Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar's Thunivu earlier this year. 

Currently, theatres are only allowed to run four shows per day except for Sundays and holidays. The theatres are required to take permission from the government, in case they want to add more shows. Even then, the first show cannot begin before 9 AM.