Chennai sources stated that Kollywood industry is still refusing to pay the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) to Digital Service Providers (DSPs) and is insisting that the tab be picked up by theatre owners. Meanwhile the other three south Indian film industries have come around to the new terms and slashed prices offered by DSPs like Qube. Moreover, the Tamil Film Producers' Council (TFPC) has stood firm in its resolve thus far.
As per latest report there are around 30 Tamil films which are waiting to be released. The Rajinikanth starrer Kaala, which is supposed to hit the screens on April 27, is yet to be censored. Meanwhile there were rumors that the film, directed by Pa Ranjith, will be pushed to a later date since other producers whose films have not released because of the strike, will demand preference.
Furthermore Lyca Productions, the distributors of
the film, have said that they've not announced any postponement in the release
date as yet. Moreover the theatre owners, meanwhile, have claimed that the
shift to digital technology benefits producers (low print cost, wider release)
and that they had not signed up to invest in the technology themselves.
