22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Theatre exhibitors temporarily call off bandh ahead of the releases of Kamal Haasan's Thug Life and Pawan Kalyan's Hari Hara Veera Mallu
Exhibitors from the Telugu states – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – have temporarily called off the single-screen theatres bandh after a crucial meeting between the exhibitors' association and leading Telugu film producers on Wednesday. The bandh, initially scheduled to begin on June 1, was announced by the exhibitors' association in protest over the ongoing dispute regarding the revenue-sharing model between producers and theatre owners.
According to a report in Cinema Express, although the meeting did not result in a concrete resolution, exhibitors decided to defer the bandh in light of the potential business opportunity because of the release of two highly anticipated films – Kamal Haasan's Thug Life and Pawan Kalyan's Hari Hara Veera Mallu, which are set to hit theatres on June 5 and June 12, respectively.
Why was the bandh called?
On Sunday, exhibitors from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana issued a bandh notice announcing a complete shutdown of single-screen theatres starting from June 1. The decision came after a meeting of the exhibitors' association. The core issue stems from their dissatisfaction with the current rental-based revenue-sharing model. Exhibitors are demanding a return to the percentage-based model, which was followed until 2002.
The percentage-based system, which was originally followed by exhibitors, ensured a fairer split of revenue. However, a few major Telugu producers replaced it with a rental system, a move that impacted single-screen theatre owners. After this, the distributors and exhibitors continued following rental model.
Following the bandh announcement, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) Chairman Dr. Pratani Ramakrishna Goud appealed to the governments of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to intervene. He urged them to reintroduce the percentage model, asserting that such a system would be mutually beneficial to producers, exhibitors, and distributors.
About Thug Life and Hari Hara Veera Mallu
Thug Life is a gangster drama that marks the reunion of Kamal Haasan and acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 38 years – the duo last collaborated on the iconic Nayakan (1987). The film also stars Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, and Aishwarya Lekshmi. With music composed by A. R. Rahman and cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran, the film has generated huge anticipation among fans.
Hari Hara Veera Mallu, on the other hand, is a historical action-adventure film directed by Krish Jagarlamudi and A. M. Jyothi Krishna. The film features an ensemble cast including Pawan Kalyan, Bobby Deol, Nidhhi Agerwal, Nargis Fakhri, and Nora Fatehi in pivotal roles.
