Kerala Theatres Strike: FEUOK Blames Stars Turned Producers' Greed For Theater Industry's Downfall

FEUOK Blames Stars Turned Producers' Greed for Theater Industry's Downfall: In a recent development, the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), an association of theatre owners, has expressed their intent to screen only movies of minimum quality in theatres. The decision comes amidst a growing crisis in the theatre industry.

FEUOK officials highlighted the escalating crisis surrounding Over-the-Top (OTT) releases, particularly after stars ventured into production roles. The association strongly believes that the theatre industry has suffered greatly due to the avarice of these stars-turned-producers.

Kerala Theatres Strike

A crucial meeting, presided over by FEUOK in Kochi, resulted in the decision to organise a strike spanning the next two days. This protest was initiated due to the alleged violation of the agreement between producers and theatre owners concerning the OTT release of the movie '2018'.

It is noteworthy that Liberty Basheer, representing the Film Exhibitors Federation, has publicly stated that they will not participate in the strike. The original agreement between theatre owners and producers stated that OTT releases should only occur 42 days after the theatrical release. However, theatre owners claim that the producer of '2018' has disregarded this agreement.

The movie '2018' made its theatrical debut on May 5 and is scheduled for an OTT release on June 7. This decision has sparked significant opposition, as '2018' gained immense popularity upon its theatre release. At a time when the Malayalam film industry faced concerns over declining theatre attendance, '2018' managed to garner substantial attention despite the dominance of high-budget films from other regional languages. The film, which revolves around the devastating floods of 2018 in Kerala, generated tremendous buzz through word-of-mouth publicity.

'2018' quickly became the highest-grossing film in the history of Malayalam cinema, with sold-out shows within a week of its release. The makers proudly announced that the film has earned over 160 crores at the global box office, surpassing the success of Mohanlal's 'Pulimurugan' and becoming the biggest hit of Malayalam cinema in 2018. Building on this triumph, the makers also released Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi versions of the film.

The ongoing dispute between FEUOK, representing theatre owners, and certain star-turned-producers reflects the complex dynamics and challenges faced by the Kerala film industry. It remains to be seen how this issue will unfold and whether a resolution can be reached to restore harmony within the industry.