Exhibitors call for theatre bandh in Telugu states from June 1; Hari Hara Veera Mallu, Thug Life among films affected

The exhibitors of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana held a meeting with some industry figures on Sunday over the current rental-based revenue model.

Theatres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana might have a shutdown from June 1 if the exhibitors and producers don’t reach a consensus soon. A CinemaExpress report states that around 60 exhibitors met Telugu film producers like Dil Raju and Suresh Babu on Sunday to hash out long-standing issues around the current rental-based revenue model. (Also Read: Mega157: Nayanthara returns to Telugu cinema for her ‘hat-trick’ film with Chiranjeevi. Watch announcement video)

Pawan Kalyan and Kamal Haasan in stills from Hari Hara Veera Mallu and Thug Life.

Single screen theatres bandh from June 1 in AP, TS

A joint meeting was held in Hyderabad on Sunday between the exhibitor association and some film industry bigwigs. The exhibitors pressed for a percentage-based model, calling for a bandh in the Telugu states from June 1 till the issue is sorted. Concerns were also raised over films releasing on OTT quickly after their theatrical runs. A request was put in to withhold the digital release of films for a longer period. 

The report states that several key distributors and producers did not attend the meeting, hinting at an internal disagreement over the proposal. A formal representation will be submitted to the Film Chamber for further discussions ahead of the June 1 deadline. However, should the associations not reach a consensus, some big summer releases in the pipeline could be affected by the move. Only multiplexes not associated with the exhibitors' association will continue to screen films. 

Which films will be affected?

Mani Ratnam’s Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR and Trisha Krishnan-starrer Thug Life is slated for release on June 5. The film will be released in the Telugu states in Tamil and a dubbed Telugu version. Krish and Jyothi Krishna’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu: Part 1, starring Pawan Kalyan, Bobby Deol and Nidhhi Agerwal, is scheduled for release on June 12. It was initially slated for release on May 30. 

Should the bandh stretch, Sekhar Kammula’s Dhanush, Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, and Jim Sarbh-starrer Kuberaa, which will be released on June 20, could also be affected. Mukesh Kumar Singh’s Vishnu Manchu-starrer Kannappa, which features cameos from Akshay Kumar, Prabhas, Mohanlal and others, is slated for release on June 27.