Avesham and Varshangalluku craze scares PVR

Avesham of Fahad Faazil and Varshangalluku Sesham of Pranav Mohanlal and Nivin Pauly mad run at Tamil Nadu box office has made PVR rethink on boycotting Malayalam films all over India. In a face saving move, a so called intervention by Gulf based Yusuf Ali had given PVR to withdraw the boycott and open the theatres to cash in on the box office of the two films in Tamil Nadu apart from Kerala. Apart from this, there was pressure from film makers of films like Aadujeevitham on Kerala Producers Association to not precipitate the demand to implement the condition that PVR take films through newly formed PDC in the newly opened facility in Kochi . We learn that PVR would allot two screens from each complex in Kerala to install PDC digital content. The breaking news was that Yusuf Ali the Gulf based industrialist intervened in the dispute between Kerala Film Producers and theatre multiplex PVR in Kerala. After the intervention by Ali who owns Lulu Mall in Kochi and Thiruvanthapuram and where PVR has theatres, the news says that the national chain buckled down. It withdrew the decision to not screen Malayalam films across its properties all over India. The Producers too thanked Ali. In March, the PVR chain minted money in Kerala and Tamil Nadu through Manjumel Boys and Premalu , the two films that set box office records. Soon followed was Aaadujeevitham. As Kerala Producers insisted that PVR newly opened complex take digital content only from their own company PDC for the newly opened facility, PVR which is tied up with Qube on a national level cannot opt for a new digital company for Kerala region alone. As Producer Association was talking of boycott of all its complex in Kerala, PVR was infuriated as PDC was for theatres that were opening newly and not for one that was already running. PVR hitting back at the arm twisting had decided to ban Malayalam films nationally. PVR never expected the Faazil and Pranav films to create same buzz as Boys or Premalu in a market as big as Tamil Nadu. In the same way, Kerala Producers saw the dubbed film market drying up if PVR boycott continues. In case of all Malayalam films that are termed blockbusters, 60% of revenue comes from outside Kerala and Gulf countries. Aadujeevitham GCC market was hit by ban or otherwise it would have crossed all previous box office records.

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.