The Hindu : Kerala News : Countering the piracy menace

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Tuesday, Apr 01, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala

Countering the piracy menace

“Sir, it is three-in-one,” said Rasheed, displaying about 100 DVDs in a compartment of the Mumbai–Kanyakumari Express. The the ‘three-in-one’ comprised Mammootty’s Roudram, Mohanlal’s College Kumaran and Suresh Gopi’s Sound of the Boot.

Contrary to claims made by the film industry, pirated VCDs and DVDs sell like hot cakes in the market. The piracy lobby is exploring all possible routes to boost sales. Like Rasheed, hundreds of youngsters are employed to market these DVDs in trains, bus stations and temporary outlets. “But nobody talks about the rampant sale of such illegal VCDs and DVDs in places like Beemapalli in Thiruvananthapuram. Even the police authorities stay away from raiding these areas. Why should they harass small-time sellers like me when the big fish remains scot-free,” asks Rasheed.

“The government should tighten the law,” Milan Jaleel, president of the Producer’s Association, said.

Distributors are releasing the latest movies in maximum centres to ensure high returns in the first week of release. By screening the films in centres such as Aluva and North Paravoor in the first week, they hope to minimise the impact of piracy. The box-office collections of films such as Mulla and Annan Thampi will decide whether their strategy paid off.

G. Krishnakumar

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