Kollywood on the Backfoot

Kollywood will go into slumber mode from February 19 till May end!
Cricket fever, which will set in with the world cup, which starts in India on February 19, will last until April 2. Chennai will see three important world cup matches, which will only make the hype bigger. It will be followed by the IPL. And Tamil cinema���������s cup of woes only seems to overflow as the all-important Tamil Nadu assembly elections are due in April/May, the peak summer blockbuster season!
Says L Suresh, veteran distributor and secretary of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC), ���������The world cup starts on February 19, and is to be followed by the IPL.Then, after that come the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. I do not think big films will be released during this period. Our people are cricket crazy and this is the world cup we are talking about! Add to this, the heady mix of alliance politics for the assembly elections and audiences are sure to be glued to the sports and news channels.���������
It clearly means the next five Fridays will see a large number of releases. Says Abirami Ramanathan, ���������Nearly 20 films are trying their best to get released by February 18, the last Friday before the world cup kicks off. It is not only the world cup but also the examinations in March that will make this a lean period for films.���������
Currently, there are six Pongal releases followed by a mix of big and small films like Nadunisi Naigal, Aranya Kandam, Ko, Payanam, Engeyum Kadhal, Vanam, Poda Podi, Thoonga Nagaram, Veppam, Kanden, Singam Puli, Aayiram Vilakku and Nellai Sandhippu. All these films will have to get theatres, which is going to be an uphill task.
���������I���������m tearing my hair to accommodate all Pongal films, as the biggies among them are pressurising me to accommodate more shows. Even if some of the Pongal films flop, we will not be allowed to stop them till they complete four weeks. How can we find playing time for newer releases?,��������� laments a theatre manager in Madurai.
Says a leading financier and distributor, ���������Most of the big projects that are currently on the floors have slowed down production as there is an air of uncertainty in the wake of the upcoming elections. There has always been a connection between Kollywood and Tamil Nadu politics. Naturally, the industry is waiting to see which way the wind will blow.���������
Meanwhile, a Mumbai-based company is also trying to buy playing time in theatres (mainly in the B & C segments in Tamil Nadu) and screen the world cup and the IPL matches. Last year, the same company had signed contracts with a few theatres, but the Tamil Nadu Film Producers��������� Council scuttled the move.
As L Suresh concludes, ���������From February 19, you can expect a big ���������clearance sale��������� in TN theatres as small films which were lying in the boxes will get screens.���������
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