Happy New Year! Sorry, there is no new Tamil film
D.Govardan @timesgroup.com 14.04.2018
Chennai: This is one script that has gone wrong from the beginning. With egoistic characters having taken centre stage, even the best of the script-writers in Kollywood are finding it difficult to give a happy ending to the ongoing strike in Tamil film industry.
As a result, people across Tamil Nadu, who are gearing up to celebrate the Tamil New Year on Saturday, have to make do their celebrations without a customary visit to a cinema hall nearby to watch a new Tamil film of their favourite stars. This is the first time in decades that a new Tamil film is not being released on this festival day, placed on a par with Diwali and Pongal releases.
While the Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC) had banned the release of new Tamil films from March 1, 2018, over the issue of high rates being charged by the digital distribution companies as virtual print fee (VPF), a segment of theatre owners, representing the stand-alone and single-screen theatres across the state, went on strike from March 16, 2018, demanding the state to waive off the local entertainment tax on cinema tickets.
Also, the TFPC called for stoppage of all pre & post-production works of films, including shootings from March 16, until a whole lot of industry issues are sorted out. Though the theatres have since withdrawn their strike, after the state assured to look into the issue, they have been forced to screen only old Tamil or other language films for the past several weeks. “This is a very sad scenario. But, we can do little to change that. I have not seen such a thing in my four-decade industry experience,” says Tiruppur K Subramanian, a leading distributor and industry spokesman. “Talks are on, but no solution seems to be around,” he added.
“The industry is heading to a downfall. I have not come across anything like this for decades. Due to the strike, the industry would have lost an estimated Rs 200 crore across segments so far. There seems to be no end to this, any soon,” said Abirami S Ramanathan, president, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association.
HOLIDAY BUMMER: This is the first time in decades that a new Tamil film is not being released on this festival day
D.Govardan @timesgroup.com 14.04.2018
Chennai: This is one script that has gone wrong from the beginning. With egoistic characters having taken centre stage, even the best of the script-writers in Kollywood are finding it difficult to give a happy ending to the ongoing strike in Tamil film industry.
As a result, people across Tamil Nadu, who are gearing up to celebrate the Tamil New Year on Saturday, have to make do their celebrations without a customary visit to a cinema hall nearby to watch a new Tamil film of their favourite stars. This is the first time in decades that a new Tamil film is not being released on this festival day, placed on a par with Diwali and Pongal releases.
While the Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC) had banned the release of new Tamil films from March 1, 2018, over the issue of high rates being charged by the digital distribution companies as virtual print fee (VPF), a segment of theatre owners, representing the stand-alone and single-screen theatres across the state, went on strike from March 16, 2018, demanding the state to waive off the local entertainment tax on cinema tickets.
Also, the TFPC called for stoppage of all pre & post-production works of films, including shootings from March 16, until a whole lot of industry issues are sorted out. Though the theatres have since withdrawn their strike, after the state assured to look into the issue, they have been forced to screen only old Tamil or other language films for the past several weeks. “This is a very sad scenario. But, we can do little to change that. I have not seen such a thing in my four-decade industry experience,” says Tiruppur K Subramanian, a leading distributor and industry spokesman. “Talks are on, but no solution seems to be around,” he added.
“The industry is heading to a downfall. I have not come across anything like this for decades. Due to the strike, the industry would have lost an estimated Rs 200 crore across segments so far. There seems to be no end to this, any soon,” said Abirami S Ramanathan, president, Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association.
HOLIDAY BUMMER: This is the first time in decades that a new Tamil film is not being released on this festival day
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