Hindi producers to file contempt plea

Hindi producers to file contempt plea
Times of India

Bangalore: Noted advocates Ram Jethmalani and Arun Jaitley will now assist Hindi film producers to file a contempt of court petition against the “gentleman’s agreement’’ (an out-of-court settlement) on the three-week moratorium on the release of other-language movies.

“We are surprised with the government’s stand. How can it propose a settlement that can amount to contempt of the court? No moratorium, either through secret understanding or government order, is possible,’’ sources in the Hindi film industry here told The Times of India on Sunday.

The state government and Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) are likely to be made the respondents.
They alleged that theatre owners were compelled to implement the moratorium. “Many of them approached us to take up the issue as they feared backlash if opposed at the individual level,’’ sources added.

Besides, a case relating to the moratorium, will come up at the apex court on Monday. The court, which had heard two separate petitions filed by Chennai and Mumbai-based film producers during November, had granted a stay against the moratorium. The two petitions have been combined into a single case.

Telugu film release sans distributors

Bangalore: The Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce on Sunday struck a deal with a section of the theatre owners in Karnataka to release Telugu films directly without the involvement of distributors.

The APFCC had convened a meeting of Karnataka theatre owners and Telugu producers in Hyderabad. APFCC president G. Adiseshagiri Rao told this paper over hone from Hyderabad: “Since Karnataka distributors are not inclined towards releasing Telugu films, theatre owners have agreed to defy moratorium. Telugu films will witness nationwide release, from this Friday onwards.’’