With questions being raised over the collection figures of some recent hits from the Malayalam film industry, the Kerala Film Producers’ Association has issued a warning to producers against indulging in unhealthy practices that can be detrimental to the industry as a whole.
The action comes close on the heels of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioning the producers of the hit film Manjummel Boys in a cheating case filed by a person who claimed that he was not provided the promised share of profits from the film. The ED is also reportedly looking at the production costs and collection records of some of the recent hits.
In recent times, allegations have been raised from within the industry about some producers indulging in the practice of booking tickets in bulk in the initial days after a film’s release to create a false impression of a bigger crowd response.
The association will take action against producers who are found to be involved in such practices as well as the PR agencies aiding them in this purpose.
The association also decided to take legal action against Minimax, a private agency, which allegedly swindled producers after promising them of landing lucrative streaming rights deals with Jio Cinema. The association had brought the issue to the notice of Jio Cinema, whose officials clarified that the company did not use the services of any other agency or middlemen to negotiate for OTT rights of films.
Another decision of the association is to crack down on individuals making economic gains through film reviewing. Action will be taken based on the norms stipulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards against fake reviews.
