Producers decide to go single screen after failed talks

The ongoing tussle between multiplex owners and film producers-distributors took a new turn with the filmmakers deciding to release their movies in single screen theatres after the fresh round of talks between the two parties failed on Tuesday.

The ongoing tussle between multiplex owners and film producers-distributors took a new turn with the filmmakers deciding to release their movies in single screen theatres after the fresh round of talks between the two parties failed on Tuesday.

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"Since there is no resolution on the national chain of multiplex issue, UTV will proceed to start releasing its big and small movies in single theatres and non-national multiplex chain nationwide from July onwards. Dates of release would be announced shortly," Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO UTV Motion Pictures said.

Mukesh Bhatt, Chairman of the United Producers and Distributors Association, echoed similar sentiments.

"Unfortunately, we have not been able to make them see our side of the issue and we are seriously considering the alternative of going back to the single screen theatres," Bhatt said.

The talks which had been going on for the past ten days ended in a deadlock as the two parties could not come to a consensus over the issue of revenue sharing which is the bone of contention between the two.

The meeting was held at Yashraj Studios and was attended by representatives of national multiplex chains like PVR, INOX, Cinemax while Mukesh Bhatt, Yash Chopra, UTV and Indian films represented the producers-distributors