Kites cannot fly, Singam may not roar!


In a shocking development, Film Distributors Association Kerala (FDAK) has issued an “unofficial order” to cinema theatres in Kerala not to screen Other Language Films (OLF) like Tamil, English and Hindi simultaneously with the rest of the world!

Last Friday (May 21), Hrithik Roshan’s big budget Hindi film Kites which was to release in 45 screens in Kerala, could be screened only in 18 screens. Earlier the distributor of Vijay’s Sura, Shibu of Tameens Films who went against the order of FDAK and released the film simultaneously, was issued a ‘Red Card’ and not allowed to function.

More shocking is that distributors and producers want a crackdown on other language films (OLF) like Tamil, English and Hindi films which have eaten into the collections of Malayalam films. Says Siyad Kokker, president of FDAK: “We have made it clear that OLF can release in Kerala only two weeks after its worldwide release. The theatres are not interested in promoting Malayalam films, which is finding it difficult to get proper release.”

Reliance Big Pictures the distributors of Kites in Kerala has now been blacklisted. FDAK is all out to see that Mani Ratnam’s Raavan in Hindi and Raavanan in Tamil which was being planned for a 100 screen release on June 18 by Reliance does not get the theatres.

Shibu who was to distribute Suriya’sSingam in Kerala has backed out and Ravi of Divya Pictures has stepped in to distribute the film in Kerala. Ravi, a veteran distributor of Tamil films has been warned by FDAK, and he is yet to start booking theatres for the film releasing on May 28.

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