Permission for release of "Kabali" in 5-star hotels rejected

Authorities have declined permission to screen Rajinikanth's much hyped movie "Kabali" in five star hotels in Bengaluru.

Citing rules, the Bengaluru urban Deputy Commissioner V Shankar has rejected a distributor's application to screen the movie in the hotels, officials said.

The Deputy Commissioner has rejected the application citing Karnataka Cinema (Regulation) Act and Karnataka Cinemas(Regulation) Rules under which films can be screened in theatres or multiplexes with required permission and not in hotels, the officials said.

Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) and Karnataka State Exhibitors' Association had opposed the move to screen Kabali in five star hotels and even petitioned the Deputy Commissioner and Commercial Tax Department on the issue. 

KFCC had maintained that the five-star release move was illegal and the Central Board of Film Certification issues a certificate for release in theatres and not in any hotel. 

Distributors of the movie had planned to screen movies from Friday to Sunday in hotels like JW Marriott, Lalit Ashok,Royal Orchid and Crowne Plaza in the city. The tickets with price ranging from Rs 1,300 to 1,500 that included redeemable coupon were snapped up within no time but the plans, said to be a replication of the model in the West, have now been put paid to with the rejection.

The money collected would be refunded, the hotels said.