Cinema fans and film aficionados in Tamil Nadu have had to resort to watching a majority of the movies over the past few months on OTT and streaming platforms considering theatres across Tamil Nadu were forced to shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. For more than five months, cinema halls and multiplexes have remained closed after the state witnessed a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases during the second wave. That said, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday issued fresh relaxations under their latest orders for theatres in the state to operate at 50 percent capacity from August 23 (Monday). 

Tamil Nadu government's new order has come as a big relief for theatre owners, who have been instructed to operate after all their employees are vaccinated and ensure that all protocols are followed. Furthermore, permission has been given to cinema halls and multiplexes in the state to operate only three shows during the day, with the exception of the night shows. Among the notable multiplexes in Chennai city to welcome the government's latest order are Vettri Theatres and Rohini Silver Screens. Rakesh Gowthaman of Vettri Cinemas expressed his gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK Youth Wing Secretary  and MLA of the Chepauk - Thiruvallikeni Constituency, while announcing that the theatre complex is planned to be reopened on August 26 with The Conjuring 3 to be screened. Likewise, Rohini Silver Screens too posted a tweet informing fans to gear up for the upcoming big releases among which include 'Superstar' Rajinikanth's Annaatthe, 'Thala' Ajith Kumar's Valimai and Silambarasan TR's Maanaadu to name a notable few that are in the final stages of production. 

Among the next big releases, Annaatthe had been announced sometime back by Sun Pictures to hit screens in November as a grand Diwali treat, with an official word on Valimai expected to be made in the days ahead. Tamil cinema fans will now be looking forward to watch a number of films on the big screens among the ones ready for release include Sivakarthikeyan's much-awaited Doctor directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and 'Makkal Selvan' Vijay's Sethupathi's Laabam, which will be coming out as a posthumous release for late filmmaker S. P. Jhananathan.