The Hindu Business Line : Film industry crippled by piracy, clichéd themes

LEAVING behind a "disastrous" year, the Telugu film industry is looking ahead with optimism, thanks to the success of two low-budget films Missamma and Satyam towards the end of the year.

Video piracy, competition from satellite channels, overdoing of films targeting the youth segment and spiralling production and exhibition costs are cited as the main reasons for the disaster.

Mr Murali Mohan, a veteran actor-producer and President of Movie Artistes' Association (MAA), said the year did not go well for the film industry compared with the previous year.

According to him, competition from the satellite channels is a major contributor for the poor performance.

"The other main reason is the so called `youth trend'. There's a flood of movies targeting the youth, with clichéd themes. People with little experience and understanding of the industry have become directors and actors. Viewers are a confused lot. They see a new face every other day, acting in movies with similar titles," he told Business Line.

"Why put all your eggs in one basket. You have to have a mix of themes," he pointed out.

He, however, felt that a sense of order would dawn on the industry. "The industry will see rationalisation next year," he hoped.

For Mr K.C. Sekhar Babu, Honorary Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce, the year witnessed a "mixed response" for the industry.

He said video piracy had made a severe dent into the revenues of films. "The loss can be put anywhere between Rs 100 crore and Rs 150 crore. Industry was not the sole loser. The State Government, too, got affected in the form of lesser tax collections," he pointed out.

"Ever-increasing prices of cinema tickets seem to be the reason. A family can easily buy provisions for the whole month with the money they spend to watch a single movie. This should change," he said. "Lack of experience of some producers and directors is another contributor for the state of affairs. This is leading to exploitation at various levels."

Mr Tammareddy Bharadwaja, a senior producer and President of Andhra Pradesh Film Employees' Federation, said the industry could hope for the best as the year ended with a good note. "Films with good themes will always make a mark, no matter whether it is a low or high budget film," he observed.

Mr Suneel Kumar Reddy, an upcoming producer-director, said the year, which otherwise proved to be a bad one, ended with an optimistic note thanks to the success of Missamma and Satyam.

Mr Reddy, whose venture Hero was featured in the International Children's Film Festival held here recently, said it was a paradox that despite being the second biggest film industry in the country, the Telugu industry failed to offer good theatres for small producers to exhibit their movies.

"The mega success of Tagore (starring Chiranjeevi) and Simhadri (starring Junior NTR) complicated things, leaving a large number of theatres showing big films," he said.

He foresaw a gloomy picture in 2004. "It is okay for exhibitors and distributors as long as things go well. But they have to pay a heavy price if things go wrong," he cautioned.

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