Mumbai, April 28: Marathi cinema appeared to have got a lifeline today with the Maharashtra government issuing licence suspension notices to 34 cinema halls, including single-screen theatres and multiplexes.

The notices were issued because the cinema halls have apparently violated a licensing provision mandating that each theatre has to screen Marathi films for a minimum of four weeks a year.

The theatres that got the stick include multiplex chains Cinemax and Movietime cinemas as well as single-screen halls like Eros and Naaz cinema in south Mumbai, Chitra, Sheetal and Sharda in central Mumbai.

The notices were the culmination of a drive begun by deputy chief minister R.R. Patil five months ago after the Marathi film industry complained it was unable to find access to an adequate number of screens.

The halls issued the notices had been asked to show cause in January why their licences should not be suspended. But they did not bother to reply.

“We have given them 30 days to appeal before the deputy chief minister or their licences would be suspended. Some have called us and told us that they would comply,” said DCP (headquarters) Vijay Singh Jadhav, who is in charge of theatre licensing.

The Marathi film fraternity welcomed the move. “Theatre owners are guilty of meting out step-motherly treatment to Marathi films compared to Hindi. It was necessary that someone caught them by the collar,” said actor Arun Nalawade.

An employee of Eros voiced surprised at the move. “We are currently screening a film in the matinee show. We don’t know why a notice has been sent.”