PVR INOX multiplex player has dropped its decision not to screen Malayalam movies across its screens following a tiff between the Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) over the issue of content sharing.
The rift had widened after the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) announced on Saturday that it would stage protests in front of the multiplexes affiliated to the company until the management compensated for the loss suffered for not screening new releases, including Fahadh Faasil’s Aavesham, Vineeth Sreenivasan directorial Varshangalkku Shesham and Unni Mukundan’s Jai Ganesh. The multiplex chain had also stopped screening the previously released Malayalam films, including director Blessy’s Aadujeevitham, A. D. Girish’s Premalu, and Chidambaram’s Manjummal Boys.
Hold talks
B. Rakesh, secretary of the KFPA, said that the company representatives informed their decision to resume screening of Malayalam movies. They are also ready to hold talks within a week to resolve the pending issues, he said.
The company had stopped screening Malayalam movies after the KFPA stuck to its position that Malayalam films should be released at the screens in the Forum Mall in Kochi at a low virtual print fee (VPF) using the content mastered at the PDC (Producers’ Digital Cinema), a facility under the association. The producers and distributors found the VPF being charged by existing content providers like Qube, UFO, PXD, TSR to screen the movies in the theatres too high.
B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of FEFKA, thanked M. A. Yusuff Ali, businessman and chairman of the Lulu Group for his intervention to resolve the deadlock as the multiplex player has many screens in malls under the group in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. We had objected to the unilateral decision taken by PVR INOX to stop screening Malayalam movies, he said.
FEFKA’s role
Mr. Blessy said that the intervention by FEFKA remained crucial in resolving the issue. We had suffered considerable loss after the movie was pulled out from the screens of the company, he said. Though he had plans to stage a protest in front of the PVR Cinemas in Lulu Mall here, it was called off following the truce.
In a statement released on Thursday, the company management said that the KFPA had stated that the company should source Malayalam movie content exclusively through one channel (through the content mastering and distribution network run by the association). Such an action of forcing an exhibitor to procure content from only one source is anti-competitive in nature and prohibited under the law, it said.
