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TFPC's measures to revive Kollywood's fortunes
By Kolammal Shankar [ March 05, 2009 ]Views: (49)
TFPC's measures to revive Kollywood's fortunes
Has recession hit Kollywood too? Though there have been no apparent signs of recession, box office records of films released in 2008 reveal a grim picture of Kollywood. Of the 117 films released in 2008, only about 11 were able to declare a profit. Even 2009 has not started on a cheerful note for Tamil films. Of the 16 films released, only 2 films are expected to cover their production costs. Also, 27 films, both big- and small-budget, are ready but still unsold for lack of takers. Following the poor performance of films, theatres in Tamil Nadu have stopped paying Minimum Guarantee (MG) sums for new films hitting the screens. Considering all these facts and taking stock of the situation, Tamil Nadu Film Producers' Council (TFPC) convened an emergency meeting, announcing plans to revive the fortunes of Kollywood.
Here are a few points announced by the TFPC at the meeting:
1. Artistes who have given a flop ought to give priority dates to the same producer if he/ she wants to start his next film and recoup his losses. Such artistes have to give dates according to the payment received, and cannot jump the queue to favour any new producer.
2. The artistes’ date coordination will be directly with the star and not through his/ her manager. This means in case of payment dispute or date problems between a producer and an artiste, the star cannot be represented by his/ her manager.
3. Small films should use a maximum of 75 film rolls only; big budget films should be restricted to 125 rolls.
4. Henceforth, all films which release with less than 80 prints will be called small films. Films that release with 80 or more prints and in digital format will be categorised as big budget films.
5. Not more than two films can be released per week; they will be prioritised according to the date of the Censor certificate.
6. A subsidy of Rs. 2 lakhs will be given to films that release on 24 screens or less.
7. TFPC will regulate the release dates of films.
8. Big budget star movies can be released only during festival seasons or on national holidays.
Commenting on these plans, Mr. Ramanarayanan, President of TFPC, said, "We are trying to implement certain changes to make filmmaking profitable." Speaking about 2008 releases, the President opined, "Last year, only 10% of the films were profitable. Something had to be done to curtail the mounting losses suffered by producers. We ourselves are to be blamed to a certain extent, as there was no planning or budgeting before we started a film. Producers have suffered huge losses and some have virtually become paupers.”
Mr. Ramanarayanan added that this was a “wake up call for the industry” which has to restructure its filmmaking strategies to come out of the red. Let's hope and pray that Kollywood recuperates from its sagging fortunes and emerges as successful as before.
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