Minister Rajmohan Inaugurates Tamil Nadu's First Autism-Friendly Movie Screening

PRESS RELEASE The Hon'ble Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity, Thiru Rajmohan, today (18.07.2026) inaugurated a first-of-its-kind film screening for 40 children with Autism and their parents at the "Munkaan" theatre located at the Tamil Nadu Government M.G.R. Film and Television Training Institute. The Special Centre for Persons with Autism in Chennai was established on 5th December 2024 and has been functioning since. Over 950 persons have registered at this centre so far, of whom more than 50 percent belong to the crucial category of children aged 1 to 6 years requiring Early Intervention. Following the plan to conduct periodic exposure visits for children with Autism, and given that such children rarely get the opportunity to visit public places like cinema halls, this first-of-its-kind screening for 40 children with Autism and their parents was organised — to help them understand and cope with behaviours such as emotional outbursts and anxiety that can arise in public settings, to learn ways of counteracting excessive sensory impact from lighting, sound and crowding, and to acquire effective communication and support techniques, thereby preparing them for such environments. The event was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Minister for School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity, Thiru Rajmohan, at the "Munkaan" theatre of the Tamil Nadu Government M.G.R. Film and Television Training Institute, where the animated film "Finding Nemo" was screened. On this occasion, to give the children a complete cinema-going experience, popcorn was distributed along with mock ticket stubs, and the film was screened in the theatre. As in regular cinemas, an interval and snacks were provided, and the children were kept cheerful and engaged. Speaking on the occasion, the Hon'ble Minister said that, as per the guidance of the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, similar special film screenings for children with Autism would be held every month, going forward, at the Tamil Nadu Government M.G.R. Film and Television Training Institute. The Hon'ble Minister subsequently interacted with the children's parents and distributed sweets to all the children. Thereafter, the Hon'ble Minister visited and inspected the institute's film production complex (3C Studio) and the newly renovated air-conditioned shooting floor. On that occasion, he stated that the current rental charges for these shooting floors could be reviewed and appropriate action taken to encourage greater use by the film industry. The event was attended by Secretary of Tamil Development and Information Department Thiru Ve. Rajaraman IAS, Director of Information and Public Relations Dr. A. Arun Thambhuraj IAS, Chief Executive Officer (Retd.) of the Chennai Special Centre for Persons with Autism Thiru R. Sudhan IAS, Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Government M.G.R. Film and Television Training Institute Thiru Manoj Paramahamsa, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Dr. Reema Chandramohan, Joint Director (Social Media)/Chief (Public Relations) Thiru A.Ve. Surendran, and several others. ************** Issued By: - DIPR, Secretariat, Chennai – 9