Kollywood Bandh: What Producers Expect From Rajini, Ajith, Vijay To Prevent Complete Shut Down From November?

In a significant move, the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) has announced a complete shutdown of the Kollywood industry starting November 1. This decision marks the first time in years that such a stringent measure has been taken. The council cites unsustainable star salaries, rising production costs, and diminishing revenue streams from OTT and satellite rights as the primary reasons for the shutdown.

Tamil Cinema On Pause From November

The TFPC's plan involves a phased approach: no new Tamil movies can begin production after August 16, and all ongoing projects must wrap up by October 31. From November 1, there will be no film shootings, effectively bringing the entire industry to a standstill.

One of the key resolutions passed by the TFPC is a crackdown on big film producers who have been releasing their movies on streaming platforms just 28 days after their theatrical release. Going forward, films featuring big stars will only be available on OTT platforms 56 days after their theatrical run, doubling the current window. This move aims to preserve the traditional theatrical revenue model, which has been undercut by early streaming releases.

The council also addressed issues of actors taking advances from producers and then failing to honor their commitments. Notably, they singled out actor Dhanush, alleging that he had taken advances from several producers without starting work on the agreed projects. The resolution mandates that actors must complete their current commitments before accepting new ones.

The TFPC's measures come in response to a growing trend where big stars bypass traditional production houses to produce their own films or collaborate with financially robust new producers, who often disregard escalating star prices. Over the years, the council has made several demands to regulate the industry, but enforcement has been lax. During the streaming boom, even TFPC members flouted rules by reducing the window between theatrical and OTT releases to capitalize on lucrative streaming deals.

Now, with the market cooling, the TFPC's stringent new policies reflect a broader effort to restore stability and sustainability to the industry. However, with the industry set to go dark from November 1, it remains to be seen how these measures will impact the future of Kollywood and its stakeholders.

Highest Paid Actors In Kollywood

Rajinikanth, Thalapathy Vijay, Ajith Kumar and Kamal Haasan are the three stars who command huge paychecks in the Tamil film industry. At least two among them get over Rs 100 crore remuneration while the two others co-produce their movies or pick the producers with whom they are comfortable with.

In short, the producers want stars like Rajinikanth, Ajith and Vijay along with others to cut down on their remuneration which will eventually bring down the production cost as over 60 per cent of the budget are dedicated as their paychecks.