Pushpa 2 Controversy: Bengaluru Takes Action Against Illegal Early Screenings

‘Pushpa 2’ was released in thousands of theaters across India on Thursday. However, the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner issued a notice to the cinema teams screening the film, warning of serious action against theaters showing the movie illegally or not adhering to the scheduled show timings.

The Deputy Commissioner also directed the police commissioner to take action against 42 theaters in Bengaluru. A letter was sent to the police requesting the cancellation of shows between midnight and 6:30 am on December 5.

Film screenings were available on BookMyShow for theaters and multiplexes in Bengaluru, but the timings were not as per the regulations.

Under the Karnataka Cinema Regulation Act, films should not begin before 6:30 am, but some theaters were planning to start screenings as early as 3 am on December 5 without official approval.

The notice stated that selling tickets for screenings before 6:30 am on the BookMyShow platform is illegal. The Deputy Commissioner emphasized that such violations should be addressed promptly, and necessary actions should be taken.

According to Rule 41 of the Karnataka Cinema Regulation Act, screenings should not start before 6:30 am, and the last show should begin no later than 10:30 pm. It was found that 42 theaters in Bengaluru were selling tickets in violation of these rules.