Tamil Nadu filmmakers threaten complete shutdown, Rajinikanth’s Kaala may get delayed
With Tamil filmmakers confirming a theatre shutdown and strike, summer release Kaala, starrring superstar Rajinikanth, is likely to get delayed.
regional movies Updated: Mar 14, 2018 13:56 IST
With the impasse between the Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC) and Digital Service Providers (DSP) continuing, it seems a host of summer releases including Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala will be delayed. Tamil film industry is protesting exorbitant amount charged as VPF (virtual print fees) by DSPs. The industry representatives have now threatened an indefinite shutdown from March 16 if their demand of bringing down the VPF is not met.
Earlier, various south Indian film industries had joined hands to bring down this cost, and the movement was headed by producer Suresh Babu. After DSPs decreased their fee by up to 30%, the Telugu film industry ended the strike and films started releasing in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from March 9. However, Tamil industry -- unhappy with the nominal decrease in cost -- decided to continue the strike.
In their latest statement, the Tamil film producers confirmed theatre shutdown on March 12 and said all film related activities including shooting, audio launches and press meets will be stopped in Tamil Nadu till a decision is reached. Despite market leader Qube agreeing for more concession in their rates for producers, the offer has been rejected. As the industry prepares itself for a total halt, rumours are rife that discussions are underway with a Mumbai-based projection company who may enter the market very soon and are willing to offer VPF at one third of the existing price.
Meanwhile, the shutdown of the industry will mean there will be a loss of about Rs 10-15 crore a day. This will affect the summer releases and eventually will dampen the prospect of Rajinikanth’s Kaala, which is slated to hit the screens on April 27. “The industry grapevine is that once the strike is over, films will be released in the order they were certified by the censor board. This means films that have been cleared by CBFC and are waiting to release will hit the screens first. This move is most likely to affect the release of Kaala,” a source from TFPC told Hindustan Times.
Last week, TFPC released a statement which read, “To enhance and improve the wealth and life of all our producers, we have put forth our important requests, and demands. Every film shooting will be stalled until we get an answer for this.”
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