After the formation of the new government under Vijay, several industries in Tamil Nadu have started placing their expectations before the administration. The Tamil film industry is also hoping for important changes and support from the new chief minister. Producers, theatre owners, and distributors say the cinema business is facing many challenges in the digital era, including OTT growth, piracy, rising production costs, and declining theatre footfall.Industry members believe Vijay, being someone who comes directly from the cinema world, will understand these problems better than anyone else. Many producers and theater owners are now preparing to submit requests to the government seeking reforms that could help Tamil cinema grow without financial pressure and unnecessary delays.
Theater owners demand a tax reduction and better support
As reported by Cinema Vikatan, theater owners have especially requested the government to remove the local body tax collected from cinemas in Tamil Nadu. As mentioned by Tiruppur Subramaniam, who happens to be the president of the Theatre Association, the state of Tamil Nadu is unique for being the only one in India that continues paying both GST and an additional local body tax imposed on theaters in the state.In the initial period, the tax rate was cut down from 8% to 4%, but currently theater owners want it abolished altogether. Theater owners have also requested an increase in theater maintenance charges and lower electricity tariffs. At present, theaters in Tamil Nadu are charged under industrial electricity rates, while many other states offer cheaper MSME-level tariffs for cinema halls. Theater owners say these changes are necessary to keep theaters running smoothly in the OTT era.
Producers seek a single window system and easier shoot permissions
Producer T. Siva said the industry does not want to burden the new Chief Minister immediately, but certain administrative changes are urgently needed. One of the biggest requests from producers is the introduction of a proper “single window system” for shooting permissions. Currently, filmmakers face several problems while obtaining approvals for daytime shoots across Tamil Nadu.Producers say police interruptions and complicated approval systems often delay shoots and increase expenses. For these reasons, the majority of filmmakers usually choose to shoot their films in Puducherry rather than in Chennai. Furthermore, demands for greater leeway in organizing theater performances and movie shootings beyond the temple premises without interfering with worshippers have been raised. Apart from this, filmmakers have asked for the incorporation of a full-fledged accounting system on the internet for box-office incomes.
Kollywood also requests anti-piracy action and film city development
Producer Dhananjayan Govind and other industry members have also highlighted piracy as one of the biggest threats facing Tamil cinema today. They pointed out that even Vijay’s film ‘Jana Nayagan’ faced online leaks. Producers are now urging the Tamil Nadu government to create a special anti-piracy cyber unit similar to the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, which actively blocks illegal movie piracy.Apart from piracy control, the industry is also asking for financial support for small-budget films, pending subsidy payments, and development of the long-delayed Film City project in Poonamallee. Requests have also been made to allow single-screen theaters to convert into multiplex-style setups with two or three screens. The industry feels that the changes might bring about better employment opportunities and an increased number of theaters to help develop Tamil cinema.
