It has been two weeks since any new Tamil films have hit screens in the state. The decision to withhold new releases was taken by the Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC) to protest against the local body entertainment tax that was levied by the state. Now, we have learnt that after a dialogue between the concerned authorities, the entertainment tax has been reduced to eight per cent from 10 per cent. Ask
TFPC
president,
Vishal, if the two per cent will make any difference and he says, “That’s the maximum we could do after so many weeks of efforts.”
What about the movies that were to release on October 5? Vishal says , “We are trying to facilitate its release on November 3.” Meanwhile, a set of announcements made by the TFPC has been doing the rounds on social media. They include — theatres can’t sell tickets above the rates specified by the government, they should sell packaged items at
MRP
rates, allow audience to take water bottle inside the theatre, regulate parking charges according to government norms, and reduce online booking charges. So, are theatre owners in agreement? Vishal says, “Some theatres are already following these rules. The government had said that packaged water must be sold at MRP a few months ago. It can be at malls, multiplexes or anywhere. So, we are requesting others to follow, too. We are just trying to make things easier and affordable for audience to watch films.”