A Christmas without films in Kerala Sunday Dec 25,2016

Malayalam cinema will have little to celebrate this Christmas and New Year after a decent run at the box office throughout 2016.

The widening rift between exhibitors on one side and producers and distributors on the other over revenue sharing has created a deadlock in the multicrore industry.

It is now official that there will be no Malayalam movie this festival season after the warring factions hardened their stance on Wednesday.

Releases hit

The crisis has hit the prospects of four films that include Satyan Anthikad’sJomonte Suvisheshangal, Jibu Jacob’s Munthirivallikal Thalirkumbol, Jay K.’s Ezra ; and Siddique’s Fukri .

The Kerala Film Producers’ Association and the Film Distributors’ Association on Wednesday made it clear that they were in no mood to relent this time.

The trade bodies have decided to withdraw Pulimurugan and Kattapanayile Hrithik Roshan , which have been running successfully, from the cinemas under the Kerala Film Exhibitors’ Federation as a mark of protest.

Talks fail

The move came a day after the talks convened by Minister for Culture A.K. Balan to end the stalemate over the release of Christmas releases failed after the exhibitors’ federation stuck to its stand that they should get a higher share of the box office revenue.

The ratio

P.V. Basheer Ahamed, president of the organisation, said there would be no change in the stance that the revenue share should be 50:50 between them and the producers. The ‘A’ class exhibitors earn a 40 per cent share of the revenue in the initial days of the release while the producers get the remaining share.

M. Renjith, general secretary of the producers association, said the unilateral stance adopted by the exhibitors’ federation had derailed the efforts to release the movies for Christmas.

He said the exhibitors refused to accept a suggestion made by the government that a judicial commission could look into the various problems in the industry.

Mr. Basheer termed it as a delaying tactic while asking how such a body could arrive on a decision before the Christmas and New Year season.