AMMA responds to Kerala Film Producers’ Association’s call for industry shutdown; says ‘cannot accept’

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The Kerala Film Producers’ Association (KFPA) has been in the news after its General Secretary, Suresh Krishna, suggested that all film activities should cease across the industry starting from June 1st.

During a recent press conference, the seasoned producer voiced his concerns, disclosing that the production halt was a response to the excessive fees being demanded by actors. Furthermore, he expressed the Association’s desire to abolish both the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as any entertainment tax levied on the industry.

On Monday, February 24th, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) gathered and announced that they cannot agree with the complete shutdown proposed by the KFPA. Nevertheless, they made it clear that they are open to negotiating about the matter of compensation.

AMMA made clear that they appreciate the seriousness of the points brought forward by KFPA, as well as the financial worries expressed by the producers. Nevertheless, they are not open to any external entity meddling with the artists’ work obligations or movie-making affairs.

A number of notable actors such as Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Manju Pillai, Basil Joseph, Tovino Thomas, Vijayaraghavan, and Saikumar convened in Kochi for a gathering. The main focus of this meeting was to deliberate on the actors’ remuneration and the producers’ expectations.

Furthermore, AMMA asked KFPA to issue an apology over reports of their Vice President’s comments about AMMA being without leadership. Yet, KFPA stated that they had not classified the Actors’ Association as a leaderless entity.

Before the formal gathering of AMMA, some notable figures like Antony Perumbavoor of Empuraan production had already expressed opposition to the shutdown. However, it became evident that the statement issued by Suresh Krishna was supported by, and represented the collective decision taken by the Association, as clarified by the vice president of KFPA.

Additionally, the KFPA sought assistance from the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce regarding their planned strike. The Chamber is scheduled to meet on Monday to deliberate on this matter. Notably, there’s a faction within the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) that disagrees with the proposed strike.

Furthermore, Sibi Malayil, an experienced filmmaker, has voiced his concerns about the industry strike. He also mentioned that the association will actively communicate with KFPA. This esteemed director made it clear that the strike could be catastrophic for the industry, potentially affecting the livelihoods of many daily-wage workers in the field.

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2025-02-24 17:38