No new Kannada films for sometime

In a day of swift developments which also witnessed some violent incidents, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce stepped up its efforts to deescalate the tensions between the Kannada film producers association and the cine workers and bring them to the negotiating table. There was an attack on the film unit office of Ganesh Movietone, owned by Producer Ganesh, one of the producers of Ravichandran starrer Ugadi who is reported to have humiliated the star during the outdoor shooting at Ootacamund. The producers association decried the attack on Ganesh's office and said that the attack was pre planned and maintained that

Ravichandran fans were not involved in the incident. The Upparpet police who have registered the case are yet to investigate the matter and no arrests have been made so far, said police sources. The police force in Upparpet is preoccupied with some other incidents and they may try to investigate the matter on Sunday. Meanwhile, some police constables were on duty at the Kannada film producer's association office and also Ganesh's office.

Actor Ashok, President of the cine workers association was summoned by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce in the morning and he was criticized for taking the extreme step of banning ten producers without intimating to the chamber.

Tallam Nanjunda Shetty, the President of the KFCC said that Ashok had violated the bilateral agreement he had signed with the chamber which meant that cine workers should not stop work for any film under any circumstances and the issue has to be discussed with the film chamber. Ashok said that he needs two days time to make any amends to the decision already taken, as the executive committee of the cine workers organization is only empowered to take a decision.

The three 'banned' producers K.Manju, Munirathnam Naidu and Ganesh have decided not to continue with any further production activities of their films, until the cine workers organization make amends to what they described as a provocative act. They have given a written commitment in this regard to the President of Kannada film producers association. The producers have also decided to stick on to their decision of not launching any new films.

Speaking to the media in Kannada film producers association office in Gandhinagar, Ganesh said that the attack on his office has resulted in a loss of a few lacs of rupees, as lots of materials and shooting equipments have been broken and were made dysfunctional. He said that the attack was premeditated and only a few in the film industry would know that his office was functioning in the fifth cross of Gandhinagar. "I am doubtful whether the attackers were really Ravichandran fans' said Ganesh who also added that the Ootacamund incident was blown out of proportions.

Sandesh Nagaraj, President of the Kannada film producers association said that lot of rumors are making rounds in the industry and some vested interests are bent on painting the producers in black. He also denounced the ban imposed by the cine workers organization. 'Despite reiterating that dubbing of non Kannada films and star