The Hindu : New turn to crisis in film industry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 04, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

New turn to crisis in film industry

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MARCH 3. The crisis in the film industry took a new turn today with the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce deciding to withdraw its nominees to the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy general council in protest against the cooperation extended by the Academy chairman, T.K. Rajiv Kumar, to Sunday's star nite programme in Kochi.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, the Film Chamber president, Siyad Kokker, said the Chamber had already given instructions to its nominees representing various trade organisations to submit their resignation from the general council. He said the resignation letters of most of the members including K.A. Jaleel, N. Krishnakumar, T.P. Vasu, S. Chandran and himself had already been forwarded to the Chalachitra Academy.

Mr. Kokker said the Chamber would not cooperate with the Chalachitra Academy in any way as long as Mr. Rajiv Kumar continued as its chairman. Mr. Rajiv Kumar, who had been given the Academy chairmanship on the recommendations of the whole industry, had now chosen to act in a manner detrimental to the interests of Malayalam cinema. Mr. Kokker, however, said the Film Chamber would not ask the Culture Minister, G. Karthikeyan, to change Mr. Rajeev Kumar from the post since such appointments were the Government's prerogative.

Reiterating their earlier stand against the star nite programme being organised by a private television channel, Chamber functionaries said that in case the programme was held on Sunday, all production work in the film industry would come to a standstill from the very next day. However, extreme steps like closing all cinema halls would be taken only in the next stage. The Film Chamber would announce at least three new projects with new artistes by next week. It would submit a memorandum of demands for saving the crisis-ridden film industry to the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, next week. Mr. Kokker warned that in case the Government failed to fulfil the demands, the whole film industry would come to a halt.

Mr. Kokker said the Chamber was firm in its earlier stand on the star nite to be presented by film artistes under the banner of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). There was no question of holding talks with AMMA after the event was held. ``The organisation AMMA just does not exist as far as we are concerned,'' he added.

Mr. Kokker pointed out that cinema hall owners in the State were already contributing about Rs.45 lakhs a year towards a fund being used to give pension to veteran artistes of Malayalam cinema. The amount, collected as licence fee from cinema owners, was deposited directly with the Chalachitra Academy.

The executive committee of the Film Chamber met here this morning and expressed its protest against the actions of Mr. Rajiv Kumar and the director Priyadarsan, who had been directing the stage show.

Apart from Mr. Kokker, the press conference was attended by the Film Chamber general secretary, T.T. Babie, and the treasurer, S.S.T. Subramaninam. K.A. Jaleel, V.C. George (Appachan), Mamachan, Ramdas Chelur, Nandakumar, M.C. Bobby, Palamuttam Majeed, Kireedom Unni and Jose C. Mundadan, representing the trade bodies including the Kerala Film Producers Association, Film Distributors Association (Kerala), Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation and Kerala Cine Exhibitors Association, also were present.

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