Kerala   

Film industry observes bandh

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, FEB. 12. The Malayalam film industry came to a standstill on Thursday with production houses, distribution offices and cinema halls remaining closed in response to a bandh call given by the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce.

A `cinema convention' held at EMS Memorial Town Hall, Ernakulam, today reiterated the Chamber's decision to stop all production works from March 8 if film artistes go ahead with their plan to cooperate with a `star night' programme organised by a private Malayalam television channel on March 7.

Inaugurating the convention, Appachan (Navodaya) said the present crisis in the Malayalam film industry was perpetrated by the unprincipled behaviour of film stars.

Organised jointly by the Kerala Film Producers Association, Kerala Film Distributors Association, Kerala Cine Exhibitors Federation and the Kerala Film Exhibitors Association, the convention took a strong stand against the artistes and their organisation, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). Speakers at the convention stressed the need to abide by the agreement reached among the Chamber, AMMA and the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) in December 2002.

The meeting was addressed by Siyad Kokker, president of the Chamber, and others.

The convention drafted a memorandum to be submitted to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, charting out 11 major demands of the film industry including the status of industry for film production. The other demands include exemption from power tariff, special police cells and special courts to curb the menace of video piracy, exemption from entertainment tax for the first three weeks for new releases, abolition of show taxes and permission for shooting Malayalam films in Government buildings and premises without paying any rent. Another major demand, raised with a view to curbing video piracy, is imposition of a licence fee of Rs. 10,000 for video shops.

Talking on the occasion, Mr. Kokker called upon MACTA to realise the gravity of the situation and act accordingly.

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