PVR INOX and Kerala Film Producers Association settle issue, booking for new releases to resume

Nivin Pauly and Fahadh Faasil

PVR INOX has been in the news following their decision to ban new Malayalam film releases from playing on their screens. The ban was imposed following a tiff between the theatre chain and Kerala Film Producers' Association (KFPA) over content sharing. Now, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has stated that Malayalam movies will not be screened on screens under PVR INOX until the multiplex compensates for losses suffered by filmmakers whose movies weren't screened.

New releases like Fahad Faasil's Aavesham Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial 'Varshangalkku Shesham' and Unni Mukundan's 'Jai Ganesh'. It had also stopped screening the previously released Malayalam films 'Premalu', 'Manjummal Boys', and 'Aadujeevitham'. FEFKA held a meeting on April 13 in Kochi where they decided to step up the protest against the company;

B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of FEFKA, told media persons that they will stage protests in front of the theatres owned by the exhibitor, if the issue is not resolved. "We have also sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in finding a solution against the unilateral position taken by the company not to screen Malayalam films.," he said.

Hours after FEFKA's intervention, it has been reported that PVR has resolved all its issues with KFPA. The bookings for the new and old releases will be resumed soon.

Meanwhile, the temporary ban by PVR causes major losses to filmmakers. 'Aadujeevitham' director Blessy said that his producer suffered major losses. The Prithviraj-starrer is also the most expensive film made in Malayalam cinema and was released in theatres on March 30.

Vineeth Sreenivasan, actor and director of 'Varshangalkku Shesham' said in a press conference on Saturday that he and his producer Vishakh stood by PVR during the pandemic when their film 'Hridayam' was released. He said that they had offers from OTT platforms but still opted for theatrical release to help theatre owners.

"We came to know that our films will not be screened on any PVR screens only the day before the release of the films. This issue is not confined to a single network, PVR. They even run small theatres in many parts of India. Many multiplexes are in their hands. Now none of these theaters are running our movie.For the audience, there is a thing called theater loyalty. The audience books the theatre looking for maximum convenience. Among these will be theatres of PVR as well. We are losing all such audiences. This is a great loss.At the time we were doing Hridayam, it was lockdown time. Many theatre owners had called us and told us not to release the film in OTT. Hridayam got three times the offer from OTT than it did from theatres. We stayed with them then and still they are doing this to us now. I'm not that talkative. I'm saying this with great pain," Vineeth Sreenivasan said.

PVR vs KFPA matter:

PVR halted the screening of new Malayalam films on the occasion of Eid when three major films were scheduled to release. The Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) has initiated a new content-providing company, urging theatres in Kerala to procure films through this newly established venture. PVR INOX objected to this new development and refused to screen movies in protest.