Telugu Film Producers Guild Supports Mollywood During PVR-INOX Conflict

Mollywood and the Active Telugu Film Producers Guild (ATFPG) have teamed up in the latest conflict with PVR INOX. The distribution of Telugu-dubbed Malayalam films was suspended last week when PVR INOX ceased showing Malayalam movies nationally for Eid. This move also dealt a blow to the Telugu film industry.

Along with its Keralan counterparts, the ATFPG denounced this action and supported ethical business practices. They tweeted, “We denounce the multiplex chain’s unilateral withdrawal of Malayalam films from theaters throughout India. We support our colleagues in Kerala in their efforts to implement ethical business practices. We will continue to be one. #ATFPG. This opinion was mirrored by Mythri Movie Makers, whose Manjummel Boys dubbed showing was impacted.

When releasing the Telugu dubbing of Manjummel Boys, Sashidhar Reddy of Mythri voiced concerns to the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. He countered that the problems with Keralan producers did not warrant a halt on Telugu releases.

At a meeting last week, FEFKA resolved that PVR theaters would not be allocated any Malayalam films till the producers received payment for their losses. But it seems like a compromise has been reached between them and the multiplex.

The disagreement stemmed from PVR INOX’s virtual print fee (VPF). In reaction to other suppliers’ exorbitant fees, KFPA launched Producers’ Digital Content (PDC). The CEO of PVR Pictures Limited, Kamal Gianchandani, made the decision after claiming that KFPA’s demands for streaming only via PDC were “illegal.”