Under new govt, Tamil film industry hopes to breathe easy

Former chief minister M Karunanidhi is a veteran script writer in Tamil cinema and his immediate and extended family also seem to have inherited his love for movies. But this has not gone down too well with the industry. Here's why.

Of the 10 box office hits in 2010, eight were either produced or distributed by the Karunanidhi's family. Industry sources say that the monopoly of the family will now come to an end with the new government led-by J Jayalalithaa taking over.

Kalanidhi Maran-run Sun Pictures produced two movies including Rajni Kanth's blockbuster Endhiran. Maran is Karuna-nidhi's grand nephew. Karunanidhi's grand-children Udayanidhi Stalin, son of M K Stalin and Dayanidhi Azhagiri, son of MK Azhagiri, Union minister for Chemicals and Fertil-izers, also run production houses called Red Giant and Cloud Nine. Last year, Red Giant produced or distribu-ted five movies and Cloud Nine one movie.

The political clout enjoyed by Karunanidhi's family has given them a stronghold in the film production and distribution business.

A senior industry official said that if one's movie has to be released it must be either produced or distributed by the Karunanidhi family.

The fall of Karunanidhi's government has given a fresh hope to the industry and to the distributors. In the six big theatres across the city, four Tamil movies being screened include Ko (Udayanidhi Stalin), Vanam, Engayum Kadhal (Sun Pictures), Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai Dayanidhi Azhagiri).

“Over 100 movies are piled up and waiting to release in the past three years. On an average if the movie was produced at Rs 2.5-3 crore, around Rs 250-300 crore worth of  movies have not released because of the their monopoly”, said industry observers.

The Maran-owned Sun Pictures, a division of Sun TV Network Limited, was floated in 2008 and till 2011 the company has distributed 19 movies.