Tamil film industry comes to a halt

Cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu, barring Chennai, were closed from Friday over the virtual print fee (VPF) levied by digital service providers (DSP). The exhibitors say they are suffering heavy loss since new releases stopped on March 1.

Tamil Film Producers Council had earlier announced that all production activities would stop from March 16. It includes post-production activities, release of teasers, audio launch and movie-related print ads. Production activities in other States and overseas will stop by March 23, according to a press release.

According to Tirupur Subramani, a Tamil film distributor and theatre owner, theatres are losing close to ₹30 crore a week without new releases and steep fall in footfalls. “We have to spend out of our pockets for taxes and operational cost. Closing down is better than running shows for few people. It is pointless to continue protest when it is not benefiting anybody. Apart from Chennai, all other theatres will shut down from March 16 till the issue is resolved”.