Exhibitors Temporarily Drop Plan of Theatre Shutdown In Telugu States for 'Hari Hara Veera Mallu' and 'Thug Life'

In a major relief to the producers of summer releases, the proposed bandh of theatres in the Telugu states has been temporarily dropped. Reports suggest that the move comes in consideration of big releases such as Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, releasing on June 5, and Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu, headed for a June 12 release.

Dissatisfied with the existing rental-based revenue model, exhibitors from AP and Telugu recently proposed a complete shutdown of theatres, beginning on June 1, a move that would have disrupted the release of the big releases in the month.

According to a report in Cinema Express, leading Telugu film producers and the exhibitors’ association discussed the ongoing dispute over the revenue share model for the theatrical business in a meeting on Wednesday. While the meeting is reported to have remained inconclusive, an official decision will soon be made. The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce chairman, Pratani Ramakrishna Goud, reportedly released an official statement and called upon the governments of both the Telugu states to intervene and thus reintroduce the percentage system that the exhibitors are keen on.

The move would have come as a huge loss to the industry, which is anticipating big releases in June. Pawan Kalyan’s Hari Hara Veera Mallu, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and AM Jyothi Krishna, is a historic adventure film co-starring Bobby Deol and Nidhhi Agerwal. Thug Life, on the other hand, boasts a star-studded cast including Kamal Haasan, Trisha, Silambarasan TR, Ashok Selvan, and Nasser.