| The controversial decisions wherein the panel has given
in to the demands of the Karnataka Film Producers Association (KFPA)
and the Karnataka Film Directors Association (KFDA) that non-Kannada
Films will be released in Karnataka only after seven weeks from the
date of release in their own states and that only six prints of each
film would be permitted for the state would benefit only a few big
Kannada producers and highly paid actors, claimed an industry source.
"The small budget Kannada film makers may have to follow the
practice prevalent in the USA - release the films on the small screen
only, since most small budget Kannada films don't even pay back
the rentals of the theaters, let alone make any profits for the
producers or distributors, and the what of lack of quality Kannada
films even some big budget ones, let alone the quantity required
for all the theaters across the state. How can a theater survive?
We can foresee conversion of many theaters to malls and shopping
bazaars if these unconstitutional rules are passed and enforced
by the state," said one Bangalore based theatre owner.
Non-Kannada film theater owners and exhibitors are unhappy about
the fact that they don't even have adequate and proper representation
in the committee. Decisions are taken only to benefit a select few
and the government, if it caves in to the demands will be doing
a grave injustice to the exhibitors, theater owners and distributors,
the common man who will have a limited choice of films to view.
A majority of the denizens of a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore
will be forced to stop going to the movies, they allege.
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