In a move aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of minors, the Telangana High Court on Monday issued an interim order prohibiting children below 16 years of age from attending movie shows scheduled after 11 PM, regardless of their Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) rating.
The court emphasized the importance of safeguarding young individuals from potential risks associated with late-night outings. To ensure compliance, the government has been directed to formulate and implement appropriate regulations addressing this issue.
It has to be seen how the Telugu film industry is going to react to the development. Theater owners wouldn't like the arbitrary rule.
The ruling seems to have been necessitated by the Sandhya Theatre stampede incident in which a 9-year-old kid named Shri Tej got fatally hurt.
Recently, the High Court also stated that movie screenings shouldn't be held in the State till 8:40 am. In other words, midnight and early morning shows are now a thing of the past in Telangana. The film industry is having to abide by random rule-making after the stampede incident on December 4 last year.
