PVR Boycott of Malayalam films is no threat

Manjumel Boys Telugu dubbed version is first casualty of the clash between PVR INOX and Kerala Producers Association. After three days of house full shows in PVR chains across AP &TS, the film has been taken off. The distributor who bought the film has asked Telugu Film Producers Association to persuade the chain from dropping the film for a dispute that happened in Kerala. Fahad Fasil,Pranav Mohanlal and Unni Mukundan films hit theatres for Ramzan. In Chennai the non PVR theatres are running these films. The PVR threat will have no impact as far as Chennai is considered. PVR has 8 properties in Chennai and in ECR- OMR. The boycott may mean that Malayalam films would not reach those in the far flung suburbs but within the city there are other chains like AGS that screen Malayalam films. Ramzan releases opened to good response in Chennai. On April 26th Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) is releasing Actor Dilip film Pavi Caretaker. The body will accept films directly from Producers and bypass the distributors. Kerala Film Producers body has stipulated that theatres should release films that are distributed through those who are members of the distributors body that they recognise. Kerala Film Producers Association is implementing a scheme that Tamil Film Producers Council had brought in. They had backed a digital transmission network that gave films to theatres on a lesser rate and agreed to share advertisement revenue with Producers. It remained a non starter and finally the newly formed Active Producers negotiated with players like Qube to get lower rates. The new company that Kerala Producers is promoting has lesser fee for up linking theatres but existing theatres will not dump Qube for an upgradation is costly. PVR and Miraj that opened new multiplexes were given the ultimatum to take the new company or face boycott. PVR who has a global arrangement with Qube cannot have a different player in Kerala alone, To what extent the PVR boycott will affect Malayalam films market in South States has to be seen. In case of Tamil and Telugu films that have big bucks biz outside home market mcannot afford a squabble with PVR.