Watching films becomes a dangerous pastime

Film theatres becoming highly insecure
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Catching a movie in Bangalore these days is no longer what it used to be. Forget popcorn and chips. Forget getting away. Think bitter bickering.

Think petty politics, misguided chauvinism, linguistic barriers and... oh yes... think security too. For, you may just find yourself in the middle of producers-vs. -exhibitors tug-of-war or a save-Kannada campaign that cares little about your safety, Kannadiga or not.

Last week, audiences who had turned up at the Innovative Multiplex to catch the Aishwarya Rai-starrer Bride and Prejudice were in for a rude shock when Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members - self-styled protectors of all things ‘Kannada’ - got violent and wanted the film screening stopped.

Two days later, the activists turned up at Abhinay and Cauvery theatres in the guise of audience, resorting to guerrilla tactics to make their voice heard.

All because these theatres had defied the seven-week ban on non-Kannada films. So, what's it all about? In a nutshell, Kannada film producers think their films deserve better irrespective of whether the audience thinks so.

What sparked it off were two Telugu film distributors flouting the six-print norm.

Their releasing 17 to 22 prints infuriated some Kannada film producers whose films were not exactly booming at the box-office.

A massive protest rally was planned on August 9. Kannada Film Producers' Association (KFPA) president Basantkumar Patil, with active support from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, managed to rope in Kannada matine idol Dr. Rajkumar to address the rally.

Rajkumar's address did not include any adverse comments against other-language films. He only advised exhibitors to encourage Kannada films. But Rajkumar's reticence was more than made up for by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members, who made provocative speeches, threatening theatres, which screened non-Kannada films.

To prove their point, Vedike members attacked Movieland theatre and two Hindi film distribution offices on Aug.18.

Even the so-far somnolent Karnataka Government couldn't shut its eyes to what was unfolding. Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked Additional Chief Secretary K.P. Pandey to head a high-power committee and hold a meeting with members of the film industry on August 23.

Incidentally, Siddaramaiah who had promised to solve the problems within a few days went on to say in Chennai that his Government had nothing to do with the Kannada film industry's problems.

But Pandey and company didn't think so. In fact, they even thought they had the answer to the industry's problems. And so, after a marathon four-hour meeting, the Committee unanimously decided to impose a seven-week moratorium on non-Kannada films.

It was a bad decision but what was worse was the way the meeting was conducted. The committee members' credentials hardly made things better, inviting strong criticism from distributors and exhibitors alike.

With some influential producers representing distributors, Odugoudru - chairman of Karnataka Film Exhibitors' Federation - became a mute witness to the Committee's decision.

And when it came to announcing the decision, Pandey made S. Ramesh, then president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) do so. It carried little weight. Neither the State Government nor the committee issued an official statement on the meeting's outcome.

The result: Exhibitors themselves displayed some unanimity and rejected the decision.

In protest against the seven-week norm, 21 cinema theatres in Bangalore shut shop on August 28. Two days later, the Karnataka Cinema Theatres Owners' Association (KCTOA) was formed under the leadership of H.D. Kumaraswamy. The newly formed Association announced the closure of 47 more theatres.

At this point, the complications multiplied, serving up delicious sub plots that would be the envy of any filmdom -Kannada or non-Kannada. S. Rajendra Singh Babu, president of the Kannada Film Directors' Association, said exhibitors were evading entertainment tax amounting to crores of rupees.

Peeved, exhibitors announced a ban on Babu's films across the State. To counter the exhibitors' ban, the producers' association announced a ban on Kumaraswamy's films in the State. The result: Kumaraswamy disowned the ban, KCTOA was dissolved and the only ban that continued to exist was the seven-week moratorium.

It was back to square one. But there seemed just a flicker of hope when H.D. Gangaraj was elected KFCC president in place of Basantkumar Patil- hardcore supporter of the seven-week norm. And when the Rebel Star - artiste-cum-politician Ambareesh - offered his services, the stage was almost set for the simultaneous release of non-Kannada films with four prints. But adamant Kannada film producers played spoilsport.

There was more complication with Innovative Multiplex and Rex theatres defying the seven-week moratorium by releasing Dhoom and Bride and Prejudice.

Meanwhile, three writ petitions were admitted in the High Court against the seven-week moratorium. One of them made KFCC a party along with Union Information and Broadcasting Minister S.Jaipal Reddy. The writ petition made it difficult for KFCC to take any action on defiant theatres.

But there was little to stop members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike from attacking the Multiplex Innovative Theatre on October 9. A director of the Multiplex, Anuradha, suffered head injuries. And in the bargain, some journalists and cameramen - mistaken by theatre staff for activists - were also attacked.

Police have arrested 12 people, most of them theatre staff, in this connection. Innovative Multiplex was forced to down its shutters.

Vedike members again took the law into their hands on October 12 and organised a simultaneous attack on two theatres -Abhinay and Cauvery.

Police were present in large numbers but couldn't handle the Vedike's tactics. The audience, who were watching the morning show at these two theatres, were taken aback by the guerilla warfare worthy of an action-oriented script. The activists entered the theatres in the guise of audience.

They broke furniture and tore the screens at the two theatres, causing losses running into lakhs. Police, like their reel-life counterparts, entered the scene later, much later, and rounded up 64 Vedike members.

Meanwhile, the October-15 meeting of Film Federation of India with KFCC has been postponed. ``The prevailing situation is not conducive to such a meeting. We will organise the meeting when peace prevails,'' says H.D. Gangaraju, KFCC president.

Now, it's-not-our-problem Siddaramaiah has asked Pandey to convene another emergency meeting to discuss the Kannada film industry's problems.

Will they succeed this time? After all, it's not just the nauseating tussle between Kannada film producers and exhibitors.

It's also about an apathetic State Government whose solution to most problems is to let the problem drift and about a perfunctionary police department thanks to which activists can go on the rampage and still romp free. But what the heck, miracles happen in real life too.