Tamil Film Producers Council calls for entire closure of Kollywood industry
Tamil Film Producers Council calls for entire closure of Kollywood industry
In a far-reaching move, the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) has called for an entire closure of the Kollywood industry from November 1. This is for the first tine in years that the Tamil Film Producers Council has taken the decision for the closure.
Reportedly, the council cites unviable star salaries, escalating production costs, and dwindling revenue streams from OTT and satellite rights as the primary reasons for the shutdown.
The Tamil Film Producers Council’s plan involves a phased approach in that there will be no new Tamil movies shoot after August 16, and that those projects in progress must wrap up by October 31. From November 1, there will be no film shoots and the entire industry will grind to a halt
TFPC’s key resolutions passed is a crackdown on big film producers releasing their movies on streaming platforms just 28 days after their theatrical release.
Moving forward, films featuring big stars will only be available on OTT platforms 56 days after their theatrical run, doubling the current window. This move aims to sustain the traditional theatrical revenue model, undercut by early streaming releases.
The council also addressed issues of actors taking advances from producers and then failing to honor their commitments. Notably, they singled out actor Dhanush, alleged that he had taken advances from several producers without kicking-off agreed projects. The resolution mandates that actors must wrap their current commitments before accepting new ones.
The TFPC’s mandate comes in response a escalating trend where big stars bypass traditional production houses to produce their own films or collaborate with financially robust new producers, who often disregard escalating star prices.
Over the years, the council has up many demands to regulate the industry, but enforcement has been lax. Amidst the streaming boom, even TFPC members flouted rules by reducing the window amid theatrical and OTT releases to capitalize on lucrative streaming deals.
Now, with the market cooling, the TFPC’s stringent new policies reflect a broader effort to restore stability and sustainability to the industry.
However, with the industry gearing up to go dark from November 1, it remains to be seen how these measures will impact the future of Kollywood and its stakeholders.
Reportedly, Rajinikanth, Thalapathy Vijay, Ajith Kumar and Kamal Haasan are the three stars who command huge paychecks in the Tamil film industry. At least two among them get over Rs 100 crore remuneration while the other choose to co-produce their movies or pick the producers with whom they are comfortable with.
In short, the producers want stars like Rajinikanth, Ajith and Vijay along with others to cut down on their remuneration which will eventually bring down the production cost as over 60 per cent of the budget are dedicated as their paychecks.
News Edit K.V.Raman
