Into the second week of the indefinite strike over local body taxes, theatre owners have called off their protest on Thursday. Sources tell Suryan FM that the government has assured the theatre owners that it will ‘look into the issue’.
Mr. Maali, distribution head of AGS entertainment Pvt Ltd, spoke to Suryan FM about the issue.
Here’s the full text of the interview:
The recent theatre strike has been a problem for everyone. Why was this decision made?
This [protests over local body taxes] was not a sudden decision. It has been in talks since last July (when GST was introduced). We had been giving representations to the government for a while. At that point, when GST was implemented, the government had asked us for some time to resolve the issue. The protest was to emphasize our position to the government.
How will this decision impact Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC)?
…the strike is a problem for TFPC, as they have a lot of movies lined up for release. When all of it gets stalled for one month, the queue/inventory becomes crowded. Only if there are two or three movie releases in a week, the audience will understand come. When there is a rush, the audience is confused and don’t know what to choose. By the time a decision is made, the movie might have made its way out. That is a disadvantage.
Everyone in the industry is thinking positively. Now, everyone knows their individual strengths. So, there will soon be a solution for this.
What do you have to say about statements made by actors like Vishal, Siddharth, and Silambarasan?
The things that Vishal and others have said definitely have some truth in them and are justified. In hindset, we believe we need to have had a ‘Plan B’ in place. ‘Have a contingency plan if such situations arise again’, is our [theatre owners] request and advice to Vishal. From our end, we are ready to accept all fair requests made by the producers’ council.
How is the relationship between theatre owners and digital service providers after the strike?
There is no misunderstanding between theatre owners and digital service providers. It is smooth and there has been no damage. We have been asked to take up the responsibility of digital service providers as well. But investors have spent many lakhs and even crores…
On what basis will the upcoming movies be released, after the strike?
Movies that have already been censored will be given priority. But our request is to release small and big budget movies together, so that that they [small movies] attract enough audience. People need a ‘star factor’ to watch a movie. Two or three releases a week, mixed between big and small budget movies, would balance the footfall.
Mr. Mali, a B. Tech graduate, has been in the industry for 25 years. He is actively involved in the production and distribution of films and has worked in nearly 120 films. Since 2008, he has been a part of AGS Entertainment and takes care of its distribution activities. He has been coordinating with AGS cinemas from 2010 onwards.
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