The bone of contention is the virtual print fee
Even as Mollywood has come out with three major releases in the ongoing festive season—Aavesham, Varshangalkku Shesham, and Jai Ganesh—fans of Malayalam cinema, especially those from outside the state, are in for disappointment as they won't be able to catch any of these movies in their favourite PVR INOX theatres. The multiplex chain has boycotted Malayalam movies owing to a conflict with producers’ association, the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA). PVR INOX has also stopped screening the blockbuster Aadujeevitham, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran.
The bone of contention is the virtual print fee (VPF) which is a charge paid to various service providers like UFO and QUBE.
According to Evershine Mani, secretary of the Film Distribution Association of Kerela, service providers like QUBE, UFO, and Sony provide virtual print for theatres like PVR INOX and charge exorbitant VPF. "For one week, they charge Rs 11,500. If it is for multiplexes with four or five screens, they charge Rs 24,500. For one show, Rs 450… like that, they have many schemes,” Indian Express quoted him as saying.
In a bid to avoid this cost, film producers in Kerala came up with a content mastering unit called PDC. Mani said producers have been urging theatres to switch to their content mastering scheme as they charge comparatively lesser fees. "This will hugely benefit the producers, who are already losing money while making the film and distributing it.”
As PVR INOX has a contract with service providers like QUBE, they are not willing to avail the service offered by producers, leading to the conflict.
According to Mani, multiplexes have long contracts with such service providers, which include binding clauses that prohibit them from using any other services.
PVR INOX recently opened a nine-screen multiplex in Kochi, for which it refused to use PDC.
Meanwhile, the multiplex chain accused Malayalam movie producers of forcing their hand to opt for PDC. While acknowledging that PVR INOX holds great respect for producers releasing films in their theatres, CEO of PVR-INOX Kamal Gianchandani said in a statment, '“Our newly-inaugurated 9-screen cinema PVR FORUM Kochi, has been advised by the association to source Malayalam movie content exclusively through one channel i.e. through the content mastering and distribution network run by the association. Such an action of forcing an exhibitor to procure content from only one source is anti-competitive in nature and prohibited under the law. As a law-abiding member of Indian Film Industry, we are unable to comply with this advice.”
“For now, we asked them to go with their service providers in the old screens, but for new screens we want them to use our service. We also asked to divide the screens between PDC and other players. But they have abruptly stopped screening all Malayalam films. This was a bad decision. They have to remember recently all theatre owners survived because of three Malayalam films Manjummel Boys, Brahmayugam, and Premalu. We are going to fight this in court,” his statement read.
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