Website to offer Malayalam films online on release day, theatre owners oppose

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On July 31, the movie ‘High Alert’ starring Anjana Menon will hit theatres. The film that is likely to be released three different languages Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam will also be released online the very same day. The movie will be made available through a new website Reelmonk.com, created by Xincoz Labs situated in Kochi. At a time when movie piracy has become a matter of intense debate, with new releases like Premam and Paapanaasam bearing the brunt of piracy, the brains behind Reelmonk believe their idea will click. Conceptualised by three 22-year-olds from Kochi -- Blaise Crowly, Vivek Paul and Gautham Vyas, the website was launched on Monday. How it will work ReelMonk aims to being Malayalam cinema to its users' homes the same day the film’s release in India and enable people to watch the latest Malayalam movies on the digital platform legally at a download cost of Rs.180 for an ordinary print and Rs.300 for a high definition print. On the launching day the website has released two recent major movies of Malayalam, 'Nee-Na' by Lal Jose and 'Njan Steve Lopez' by Rajeev Ravi before its DVD release. Vivek Paul, Chief Operating Officer told The News Minute that they have a revenue-sharing model with producers and it is worked out on a 70:30 sharing basis. Almost 16 producers have already signed up with Reelmonk. “Once a movie is downloaded, it can be seen any number of times, but cannot be copied to any other device. Even if one lakh people download a film, the producer gets a decent sum, which probably he would not have got otherwise," Paul said. “Movies are stuck with piracy issues because of its unavailability and people depend on pirate copies of Malayalam movies mainly outside India. So this website will be useful for them,” Vivek Paul, Chief Operating Officer of the website told The News Minute. He also added that initially the new movies will be available in the site before its VCD launch and in future they aim at releasing the movies at the same day of its theatre launch. Not even Kamal Haasan succeeded say theatre owners The new venture has not been accepted by theatre owners in the state who claim it will adversely affect their business. “Simultaneous release of a movie online cannot be accepted, let them upload before the VCD launch. If a movie is released online on sameday, what is the use of theatres? If such websites are encouraged we will have to close down the theatres, so this cannot be encouraged,” P.V.Basheer Ahamed Kerala Film Exhibitors’ Federation President told The News Minute. Basheer Ahamed also added that even actor Kamal Haasan’s plans to release his movie Vishwaroopam on DTH services a day before its release had to be shelved after opposition from theatre owners. He also said that the availability of movies online will enhance piracy rather than putting an end to it.

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