Bangalore: The Kannada film crisis has blown out of proportion. The clash is between the Film producers-led by Parvathamma Rajkumar, (wife of Kannada icon Rajkumar) and the Exhibitors/theatre-owners. The issue as being promoted is the sustenance of Kannada Film industry and its survival. The producers are demanding a time-bound moratorium on Non-Kannada movies and the exhibitors say they are entitled to immediate releases of movies of their choice.

The coalition Government of Karnataka is struggling to settle this contentious issue, which threatens to blow out into a monstrous problem.

Indiainfo.com spoke to one of the leading lights of Kannada film industry, Mr Tallam Nanjunda Setty, who as an exhibitor is making sincere efforts to solve this critical problem.

Here are the excerpts;

Indiainfo: What is your point of view on the film moratorium crisis?

Tallam: See, the film producers are insisting on moratorium on Non-Kannada films, which is not correct. No government can pass any order, stricture or any legislation on such demands. It is constitutionally not tenable. If at all, the moratorium has to be followed, it has to be a self-regulatory action. Stopping Non-Kannada films will in no way help Kannada Films.

Rather than asking for a moratorium the producers must ask the government for more help and facilities for upliftment of the industry. For example; Subsidy (Rs 10 lakh each) is given to 20 Kannada films, while over 80-90 films are produced in a year. They must ask subsidy for all the films produced (say, Rs 5 lakh each). That will help.

Again, the Show Tax is maximum here, while several states have very minimal Show Tax or no Show Tax at all. The theatre-owners pass this burden on to the producers, hence the government should either reduce or abolish the Show Tax, which will help the producers.

Also, most importantly, do you know that the producers borrow money at an interest rate of 120% (per annum), which is very very high. Therefore, I suggested to the government that they should earmark Rs 10 cr in KSFC (Karnataka State Financial Corporation), which can be lent to the Film Producers at an interest rate of 12 % pa, which will help the producers in a very big way. In fact, I spoke to Parvathamma Rajkumar and told her about this.

Indiainfo: Do you think it was wrong for breaking the agreement (3-week moratorium) from theatre-owners?

Tallam: No. Not at all. Last time, when the exhibitors and film producers were at loggerheads, Mr Siddaramaiah (Deputy CM of Karnataka) intervened to settle the issue. Since, government cannot pass any order to that effect, Siddaramaiah called for separate meetings of Film Producers and Exhibitors and then he called for a joint meeting of all the groups involved. In the meeting they again insisted for a 7-week moratorium, to which the Exhibitors did not agree. Later, Mr Ambarish (Kannada film star) persuaded the producers and due to his efforts the demand was brought down to 3 weeks.

Then, we (Exhibitors) agreed for that only "temporarily", that too on a trial basis. In the meantime, Veer Zaara was released in Mumbai. Some Exhibitors approached court and got a stay on the agreement, and went ahead with the screening of Veer Zaara. One more thing, I have personally met those theatre-owners and they are in deep financial problems. A theatre-owner was so deep in trouble that he cried in front of me and showed me the notice (which said that the theatre would be auctioned). Another theatre owner was about to sell his theatre to repay his debts.

Now, you tell me, what is the harm in screening Veer Zaara? Why should anybody bother about a harmless action?

Indiainfo: The Producers call the protest similar to Gokak agitation, your comments.

Tallam: (Laughs). They want to make some show and brag, that's why. Gokak is totally a different scenario. There is nothing similar in the two cases. Actually, the Government is not strong enough. They can tell the producers that they can't bring in any legislation on moratorium, and instead, they can improve facilities or provide help, which they can. That they are not doing. They are not at all strong.

Indiainfo: What according to you are the reasons for non-performance of Kannada movies?

Tallam: Firstly, the market for Kannada films is small. Secondly, the producers can't spend Rs 15-20 crores like the Bollywood or other films. See, bollywood has huge domestic market as well as international market. Tamil films are screened in Malaysia and Singapore apart from neighbouring states, even Telugu is the same. But Kannada has to run only in Karnataka. Thirdly, the remuneration for Artists has escalated, it is too much. All these problems are there for Kannada movies.

Indiainfo: But is there any dearth for talent in Karnataka?

Tallam: No Not at all, there are real good talents here too.

Indiainfo: Have you (Exhibitors) chalked out any plan to counter the producers?

Tallam: What plans? What can we do if the government is siding with them?

Indiainfo: Siding??

Tallam: Siding in the sense that they are not strong, they have no guts. They cannot directly say that the moratorium cannot be enforced, because it is legally not permissible. Nobody can enforce a ban on Non-Kannada Films......I will say that.