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Tag: Dharam Singh

  • Chopra’s threat delays KFPA plans for blocking patrons of non-Kannada films

    Chopra’s threat delays KFPA plans for blocking patrons of non-Kannada films

    BANGALORE: Id, Monday,15 November, was a tumultuous day and the start of a tumultuous week at Cauvery theater in Bangalore. Plans to release Veer Zara were temporarily put on the back burner for the morning show due to protests from activists sent by the Kannada film lobby.

    Many of them landed up in police custody to join some of their brethren who had been arrested a day before.

    Of the three theaters, which had decided to release Veer Zara on Monday, Cauvery was the only one that went ahead with the release. The morning show had to canceled because of the protests. The theater later went ahead with the screening of the evening and the night shows, but, only balcony tickets were sold to prevent damage to the screen if any miscreants filtered thorough the body search carried out on every patron who wanted to see the movie by the police.

    The other two theaters backed out from screening the movie on Monday because the police chief said he did not have sufficient policemen to deploy to all the theaters in view of the Id celebrations. Since Tuesday, Vaibhav and Swagth have started screening the film amidst tight police security. The film has been distributed directly by Yash Chopra.

    Tuesday afternoon saw serpentine queues outside Cauvery theater in spite of a self-immolation bid by some activists of the Kannada Rakshana Vedike, 12 of whom were arrested.

    The KFPA had plans to take to the streets from last Thursday onwards to protest the defying of the ‘self-imposed’ three-week moratorium forced on the exhibitors during a meeting called for by the government formed Pandey committee on 20 October. This meeting was chaired by the Deputy CM of the state.

    However, following Chopra’s threat to approach the Supreme Court against the government and the police commissioner for contempt of Court, chief minister Dharam Singh intervened late last evening and averted what could possibly have been a violent showdown between the exhibitors and the KFPA activists. The KFPA has decided to put on hold their plans to take to the streets.

  • Kannada film talks postponed; Non-Kannada films to release next week

    Kannada film talks postponed; Non-Kannada films to release next week

    BANGALORE: The 9 November meeting between Karnataka CM Dharam Singh and the representatives of the Film Federation of India (FFI) has been postponed since the former is busy with cabinet expansion work. A fresh date will be announced later.

    The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Indian film industry which had threatened embargos against Kannada filmdom is, for the moment, satisfied with the Supreme Court (SC) and the Karnataka High Court (HC) verdicts against the moratorium and have decided not to participate in the FFI meeting with the CM.

    The Hindi film producers have decided to directly release Veer Zara and Naach on coming Friday – 12 November, since the local distributors are a part of an out-of-court settlement of a three week moratorium with the Kannada Film fraternity. Aitraaz, Manthan (Tamil), the Sudeep starrer Kannada film Nalia are some of the other Indian films slated for release on the same day.

    The Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce (KFCC) has in the meantime urged the state Government to release the Rs.50 million sanctioned for subsidy to Kannada Films, saying that over 60 Kannada films are due for subsidy since 2002. The films entitled for the subsidy have to be short-listed as yet. Since the moratorium has no legal standing as is evidenced by the SC and the HC verdicts, the KFCC also plans to work out an informal pact with the FFI to help the Kannada film industry and are yet hopeful of implementation of the moratorium.

    The KFCC also feels that though the JAC has decided not to take part in a meeting with the CM over the moratorium, they are still bound abide by any decision taken by the FFI which is the apex body.

  • Bangalore to be imp Reuters hub by end 2005

    Bangalore to be imp Reuters hub by end 2005

    MUMBAI: News provider Reuters plans to increase it’s head count from the present 340 at Bangalore to about 1200 by the end of 2005. A formal inauguration of it’s new offshore center by CM Dharam Singh was held yesterday 7 October 2004.
     
     
    The Bangalore center will be one of the four key locations of Reuters around the world. It will provide world class information to professionals in the financial services, the news media and the corporate markets as per media reports. Reuters plans to locate around 50 per cent of it’s data operations in Bangalore, which will result in 450 jobs ‘disappearing’ at it’s overseas centers by the end of next year.

    At present about 50 jobs have already been dissolved. This is line with Reuters cost cutting “Fast Forward” programme which aims to cut the staff numbers by 3000 to 13000.

    Company estimates show that costs in India would be around 40 per cent of the costs in UK or the US. The journalist strength in Bangalore is around 20 for providing new types of coverage on corporate news coming out of the US. This team would be doubled soon. No journalist has been made redundant because of Bangalore operations said a company spokesperson as per media reports.

    Reuters also plans to look at third party vendors to offer high end technology support in Bangalore in the areas of automated processes and work flow technology. On the anvil is formation of an internal business services operations within the Bangalore facility which would form a part of the Reuters Global Finance Division for processing finance transactions of the group.

  • Pandey Panel ignores Reddy’s suggestions; moratorium to continue

    Pandey Panel ignores Reddy’s suggestions; moratorium to continue

    BANGALORE: The Karnataka state government formed Pandey Panel has decided to ignore Information and Broadcasting minister’s gentle pressure on Karnataka CM Dharam Singh and decided to continue the seven-week moratorium on release of non-Kannada films. 

    The film exhibitors were conspicuous by their absence.

    Theaters, which used to run non-Kannada films foresee a bleak future if they are not permitted to release films at the same time as all over India and the world. Many owners are considering converting their properties to shopping malls or developing properties there.

    Of the 68 theaters which shut shops following the call given by the now dissolved Karnataka Cinema Owners Theater Association (KCTOA), four had already started screening English films. Another 50 may start operations by screening Kannada films, subject to availability. The film exhibitors have given up hope saying that the Karnataka Film Producers Association (KFPA) is too strong. So in Karnataka, might is right and the government seems to be practically doing nothing to sort out the issue.

    In yet another development, actor turned politician Ambarish has been given the responsibility to mediate and sort the issue. He is supposed to meet all the three directly effected parties – KFPA, exhibitors and distributors on 15 September.

  • Reddy asks Karnataka Govt to sort out film ban mess

    Reddy asks Karnataka Govt to sort out film ban mess

    BANGALORE: Terming the present seven-week ‘ban’ more of a ‘law and order’ problem than a legal one and an emotive issue, Union information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy has asked the Karnataka government to sort out the mess and to see to it that new non-Kannada films were not barred from being released in the State.

    The seven-week ban on non-Kannada films was imposed by the Pandey Panel comprising Kannada producers.

    Reddy was in Chennai yesterday to address an All-India conference on regional films organised by the Southern India Film Chamber of Commerce.

    Media reports say that “gentle pressure” was exerted by the Union minister when he spoke to Karnataka CM Dharam Singh. A meeting of the Pandey Committee has been convened on 13 September and the non-Kannada Film Exhibitors and Distributors Associations have decided to appeal to the panel to review its decision on the seven week moratorium on the release of non-Kannada films and to ask the government to roll back its decision to cut the entertainment tax on non-Kannada films from 70 per cent to 40 per cent.

    In the meantime, an unsigned faxed press release received by indiantelevision.com last week, attributed to minister HD Kumaraswamy, the son of former prime minister Deve Gowda and the president of the Karnataka Cinema Theatre Owner’s Association (KCTO), a statement mentioning that any film with which producer and director S V Rajendra Singh Babu is directly or indirectly associated would not be displayed in any theatre in Karnataka for the next five years starting 8 September, 2004 till 8 September, 2009.

    The release terms the statements as wild, derogatory, inflammatory, disturbing and provocative. It goes on to say that the disturbing remarks and utterances made against the KCTOA secretary Dhananjay KV on 4 September 2004 and also his continued assault against theatre owners have necessitated this step. The press release also states that the association had considered a life ban on Rajendra Singh Babu’s films. This release has been widely quoted in the media.

    Reacting to this, the producers association has demanded an apology from HD Kumaraswamy saying that comments against Rajendra Singh Babu were not just against one individual but also against all producers and directors of Kannada films.

    As per reports in the media, Kumaraswany has said, “No unsigned Press release issued in my name is valid. I am responsible only for press release signed by me.”

    Meanwhile,Prana and Yahoo, two new Kannada films, which were released yesterday, opened to a lukewarm response in Bangalore and have been termed a non-event by some sections of the local press. Four of the 68 theatres that announced closure have reopened to weak response. The theatres were screening re-runs of Kill Bill, Runaway Jury and new movies Out Of Time and Man Of Fire. The theatre owners state that they have not withdrawn support from the KCTOA but that they could not see their theatres closed and wanted to remind cine-goers to go to theatres.

  • Bangalore cable tragedy: Officials unclear about third probe

    Bangalore cable tragedy: Officials unclear about third probe

    BANGALORE: Karnataka government officials are of the opinion that another inquiry report to probe the circumstances that led to a seven-year old boy’s death is not required, as per media reports.Earlier, Bangalore Electric Supply Company (Bescom) and the chief electrical inspector to the government (CEIG) had submitted their inquiry reports.

    On 15 July, Karnataka chief minister Dharam Singh is purported to have ordered a third probe when he visited the boy’s house. According to authorities, it is unclear whether or not he meant another inquiry by principal secretary Ranganath.

    As reported earlier, Bescom had initiated a cable cutting frenzy holding a wrongly strung cable TV wire responsible for the tragic event. A compete blackout of TV by the cable operators was averted with CM’s intervention. 

    A preliminary inquiry initiated by Bescom’s chief engineer (CE) had found BCC responsible for the tragedy, along with the concerned Bescom staff.

    Ranganath had obtained the details of the two investigations and a report from the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTC). Action has been initiated against the four Bescom persons named – an assistant executive engineer, engineer, a junior engineer and a linesman, all of whom have been suspended and are facing an inquiry.

    According to reports, 20 August has been fixed as the deadline to complete the comprehensive review of all hazardous cables. Ranganath is to hand over the KPTC’s report to the CM early next week, based on which the CM is expected to pass orders.