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Tag: Rakshana Vedike

  • 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 filmdom issue: More attacks on Karnataka theatres

    Kannada filmdom issue: More attacks on Karnataka theatres

    BANGALORE: Posing as viewers to avoid the police detection, the Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists struck two theaters in the city, which was screening a new release, defying the seven-week moratorium.
     

    The activists entered the theaters after purchasing valid tickets and started shouting slogans, damaged screens and broke glasses in the non-Kannada theaters Abhinay and Cauvery. Panic-stricken viewers exited the theaters, even as the police who were present for protection of the theaters at the owner’s request reportedly took 68 activists into custody.

    The incident follows the attack on a theatre on Saturday during which a number of persons including media persons were injured.

    A city daily has quoted the city police commissioner Maraiswamy as saying, “The Government has not passed an order with regard to screening of movies. Everyone is interpreting the issue in his own way. But as far as the police is concerned, we will give protection to whoever seeks it. We cannot refuse them.”

    Reports on whether the attacked theaters have resumed screening of films are awaited.

    Meanwhile in a separate development, the meeting between the Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce and the Indian Film Industry (Film Federation of India or FFI) to be held on 16 October to sort out the problems has been postponed for a week because matters in Karnataka, and Bangalore were spiraling out of control.

  • Karnataka film crisis: Non-Kannada film exhibitors bear the brunt

    Karnataka film crisis: Non-Kannada film exhibitors bear the brunt

    BANGALORE: The on-going crisis in the Kannada film industry, following the Karnataka Film Producers Association’s (KFPA) decision to block all non-Kannada films has put film exhibitors in Karnataka, especially those who rely on non-Kannada films, in a tough spot.

    A section of the film exhibitors who met State chief minister to seek support had to return empty handed with CM only remarking that he’d look into the matter. 

    According to reports, the Kannada Rakshana Vedike and Sasmara Sena Vedike pelted stones, damaged equipment and tables, a TV set in the offices of The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, damaged the front portion of the Movieland theater. They then attacked the offices of Sandesh Enterprises a film production and distribution office of Pal and Basha, protesting against the screening of non-Kannada films in the State. The theatre was screening Telugu film Ghashana.

    As reported earlier, KFPA has requested all non-Kannada film distributors to refrain from releasing non-Kannada films starting 13 August following the agitation by film producers and directors who had been demanding an increase in the present entertainment tax levied on non-Kannada films.

    The Kannada film fraternity has also been demanding assurance that all Kannada films be shown in all theatres in Karnataka for at least 12 weeks a year, abolition of show tax and turnover tax on exhibition of Kannada films, a seven to 12-day delay in release of non-Kannada films from the day on which they are first screened in other states and a single-window-system for permission for filming.

    A rally had been called by the KFPA and the Karnataka Film Directors Association (KFDA) last week in which prominent personalities from the Kannada Film Industry participated. Release of non-Kannada films such as Vasool Raja MBBS (Tamil), Andaroo Dongale Dorikithe (Telugu) and the Kyon Ho Gaya Na (Hindi) in the State were effected.

    Today’s stalemate follows the fate of yesterday’s meeting held at the residence of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) president S Ramesh, which had met to decide to form a 27-member committee including exhibitors, producers and distributors, failed to yield results. Some exhibitors and distributors met Parvatamma Rajkumar, wife of Karnataka film icon Rajkumar, on Monday evening to seek her approval for release of non-Kannada films this Friday but failed to get a positive response as per media reports that add that the exhibitors and distributors could expect some support from minister and producer HD Kumaraswamy.

    Meanwhile, a meeting has been called tomorrow between exhibitors and theater owners to discuss the issue. “We really don’t expect the theatre owners exhibiting Kannada films to come tomorrow. They don’t stand to loose anything, it is only the theatres that exhibit only non-Kannada films that will be affected by the delay in release of non-Kannada films. Earlier we had not responded to their protest call against show tax, why should they support us now?” asks a theater owner.

    As many as 95 per cent of the theatres in Karnataka screen either Kannada films or non-Kannada films. Only 5 per cent theaters show both Kannada and non-Kannada films. A number of owners of theaters, which exhibit non-Kannada films, are considering shutting shop permanently.