Market Now Open for All

CHENNAI: The run-up to the launch of an upcoming Tamil film Vengai (Predator), starring Rajinikanth ’s son-in-law Dhanush, in a way symbolises the change taking place in the Tamil film industry.This is what happened: Chennai-based Vijaya Productions was ready to release the movie when it got a call from Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Pictures offering Rs 9 crore. Then, all of a sudden, Sun revoked the offer. Vijaya has now decided to distribute the film on its own.Ditto with Avan-Ivan, directed by National Award winner Bala. Sun Pictures first acquired this from the original producers, AGS Entertainment, but backed out due to differences. AGS has now released the movie on its own. Such a situation would have been unthinkable till even two months ago. The original producers wouldn’t have had much of a choice. There would have been no negotiation, no bargaining and releasing a movie without Sun Pictures’ blessing was unheard of.Things have changed dramatically. J Jayalalithaa’s victory and Maran brothers’ problems have injected a sense of relief in the industry. The Sun TV empire is facing trouble from multiple directions. Its pictures division chief Hansraj Saxena is in jail for allegedly not paying for a film’s rights and Dayanidhi Maran has been forced to resign from the cabinet for the second time in four years.“For the past two years I have been thinking of producing a movie. But when there is opposition you can’t do much because they had the money power and the media power,” said a prominent distributor and smalltime producer who didn’t want to be named. “Now, the confidence level has gone up and I will start production in September,” he added.Three different film companies of M Karunanidhi ’s family (who ruled the state then) were said to be controlling the industry: Maran’s Sun Pictures, which last year made India’s costliest movie Endhiran, Cloud Nine Movies (run by MK Azhagiri’s son Dayanidhi Azhagiri) and Red Giant Movies (run by MK Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin).Though they didn’t make all the movies, their clout was enormous. People in the industry loathed the control they exercised. No film could be released without their blessings and the Kalanithi Maran-controlled Sun TV had to be appeased with TV rights.Angry with this situation, Vijay, a popular actor, along with his fan clubs chose to support AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa during the recent elections. An official of a corporate production house said, “Suddenly the market is open for everyone to produce and market films on an equal platform, as no one can have advantage over others in terms of satellite channel support or political support.”He, however, pointed out that the three banners associated with the Karunanidhi family did make a key contribution — of giving space to smaller films and also marketing Tamil films to a global audience.Endhiran is a case in point. “The independent producers were at a disadvantage against the might of satellite channels and political powerbacked production houses,” he said. More action from independent small producers would be evident only after the Tamil month of Aadi, which is considered inauspicious for new ventures. Smaller producers believe they won’t be suffocated now. But trade observers wonder if they have the financial wherewithal to manage what those three banners successfully did.Especially since the valuations of almost all the stars they promoted in the past two years have soared sky high. While that is open to debate, what seems certain is the clout of Sun Pictures, Cloud Nine and Red Giant is not what it used to be. As a distributor said, “If giants are not there the field is open for everybody.”