Cinema owners challenge curbs on show timings

Cinema owners challenge curbs on show timings

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Three of Bangalore’s well-known cinemas on Thursday petitioned the Karnataka High Court against what they termed as illegal and arbitrary action of the State in curtailing the number of shows in a cinema hall to four in a day.

The cinemas — Rex on Brigade Road, Navrang in Rajajinagar and Pradeep, all in Bangalore, —challenged the notification issued by the District Magistrate of Bangalore restricting the number of shows in a cinema to four in a day.

The cinemas said they were challenging the condition that shows should be held after 10 a.m., and before 10 p.m. This meant that not more than four shows could be held in a day.

They said the State had cited Rule 41 (A) of the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) Rule 1971, to restrict the number of shows.

They said the State had made it mandatory for cinema halls to have a break of 30 minutes or more between each show. Defending the regulation, the Government submitted that there was a need to maintain a minimum of 30 minutes break between shows to ensure that the cinema halls were kept clean and tidy.

The other restrictions under the act were imposed on the cinemas in the interest of public safety.