The Malayalam film industry had a promising start in 2024, with successful movies like Manjummel Boys, Premalu, Aavesham, The Goat Life, and Marco. However, producers, distributors, and exhibitors are claiming the industry faced big money losses this year. If the issues aren’t solved, they have warned of a shutdown starting June 1.
According to a report, producer G Suresh Kumar announced this news after a meeting with various industry groups. He mentioned that out of 200 films released last year, only 24 did well. Producers lost between 600 to 700 crore rupees on the other films. Even though they discussed problems with movie stars, no real changes have happened.
Producers are unhappy with how much stars and technicians charge and the high entertainment tax from the government. They said, “Costs of making films have skyrocketed. The Malayalam film industry can’t handle this. Stars charge too much, and the government hasn’t helped. Since the ‘One Nation, One Tax’ policy started, taxes now take 30% of total earnings.”
Before the planned shutdown on June 1, a symbolic strike will take place outside the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. Last year, the Kerala Film Producers’ Association mentioned the need to get people back into theatres by 2025. Some movies like Manjummel Boys, The Goat Life, Aavesham, and Premalu earned over ₹100 crore, while others like Kishkinda Kaandam and Guruvayur Ambalanadayil made over ₹75 crore.
Leave a Reply