Film producers in Kerala to stop production from Apr 16

The Kerala Film Producers Association has decided to stop producing films indefinitely from April 16 demanding that the stars co-operate with its attempt to cut the cost of production. The decision was taken at the associations General Body meeting on April 6. The meet decided that production costs should be cut at any cost, association General Secretary G Suresh Kumar said today. We no longer can suffer the whims and fancies of stars and those who accompany them. We are the ones who have to spend money for this paraphernelia, he said. He also said the Kerala Film Chambers recent directive to actors not to appear on TV reality shows should not be mistaken as a move against them. The real issue is being diverted by the artistes. We have to find ways to cut the cost of production without which Malayalam cinema cannot survive, he said. The chamber had imposed a ban in 2003 on artistes who appear on TV and stage shows saying that films were not running in theatres while the stars were performing on TV screens. The agreement was signed between Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and the Film Chamber. Suresh Kumar, who is also an executive member of the Film Chamber, said the ban was only meant for the more prominent stars in the industry. Playback singers and non-star actors were not asked not to come on TV and as such it was not likely to create any serious problems. He made it clear that actors who had already signed agreements with TV channels could be exempted from the ban in discussion with the chamber till their contract ended. The Chamber had announced that from May 1 onwards, actors who appear on stage and TV shows, would be barred from films.The decision was taken by the Chamber on the demand from film exhibitors, he said. Meanwhile, a fresh controversy broke out in Malayalam filmdom with one of the superstars Suresh Gopi openly airing his view that actors should not appear on TV shows. Comedian Jagadish had strongly reacted to the statement and playback singer M G Sreekumar also came out against the Chambers decision banning artistes on TV shows. He had went on to say that he would stop stop singing in films if the ban continued. Eminent actor Kamal Hassan has also joined the war of words saying any kind of ban on artistes was not good.