Chennai: Rajinikanth, Tamil film industry on hunger strike

Chennai, Jan 7: Kollywood superstar Rajinikanth joined the protest against service tax levied by the Centre on the Tamil film industry.

The stars, technicians and other officials of the industry were on a day-long hunger strike in Chennai on Monday, Jan 7. The protesters demanded to scrap the tax.

Supporting the cause of the protesters at the venue, Rajinikanth was quoted as saying, "If there's a tough law to book tax defaulters, so much of money could be mobilised."

Film and television shooting were suspended for the day and theatres remained shut till Monday evening. The hunger strike was held just a day after another Kollywood superstar Kamal Haasan filed a police complaint seeking government aid.

Ahead of the release of his grand 90-crore movie "Vishwaroopam", Kamal Haasan has been threatened that the movie would be pirated and power supply to the cinemas screening will be suspended.

During a press conference in Chennai, the actor on Sunday said, "I have been receiving threats that the film will be pirated and electricity supply to the theatres, which have decided to telecast it, will be suspended. Since these are against the law, I preferred to lodge a complaint with Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order)."

Mr Haasan has been receiving threats following his decision of releasing the movie on Direct-To-Home (DTH) format. The actor's decision enraged many, especially several theatre associations.

Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and Madurai-Ramanathapuram United Film Distributors earlier had threatened not to screen the movie.

Despite all such obstacles, the actor claimed that the film will be released across 390 theatres and also described the move as an "evolutionary growth" and insisted it was the "way to go forward". Vishwaroopam will be released on DTH on Jan 10, a day ahead of its release in cinema theatres.

OneIndia News