PremiumEmotional Vineeth Sreenivasan blasts PVR, says he stood by theatres even when Hridayam was offered a massive OTT deal
Vineeth Sreenivasan said that PVR is more than just a single chain; it also owns several smaller theatres, so the filmmakers would suffer a great deal from this decision.
Last Updated: 05.44 PM, Apr 13, 2024
At a press conference held today (April 13) by the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) Directors Union, Vineeth Sreenivasan discussed his opinions regarding the recent PVR-INOX decision to boycott Malayalam cinema. He got emotional and voiced his disapproval of the multiplex chain's move.
The actor said that PVR is more than just a single chain; it also owns several smaller theatres, so the filmmakers would suffer a great deal from this decision. Additionally, he brought up theatre loyalty, which will make some people hesitant to see the movies on a big screen. "They made a very harsh decision that will have a negative effect on a lot of artistes," he stated.
‘Didn’t offer Hridayam to OTT in order to support theatres’
Vineeth continued by saying that, despite being offered a triple profit, he and producer Visakh Subramanian decided to support theatre owners during the challenging Covid-19 period rather than sell their prior film, Hridayam, to an OTT platform.
We decided to have a theatrical release for the Pranav Mohanlal-starrer because Visakh owns a theatre and I am an artist who wants to bring our film to the big screen. Thus, it hurts to be boycotted from the multiplex chain," he remarked.
FEFKA’s statement on PVR-Malayalam films row
A statement regarding PVR-INOX's decision to cease showing Malayalam films in their theatres starting with the Eid celebrations (April 10) has been put out by the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) Directors Union. The association said that PVR was acting in an arrogant way and objected to their action.
The FEFKA Directors Union continued by claiming that the boycott is hurting films and the people who make them. They warned, "If a solution is not found, the issue will worsen and the industry will suffer significant financial losses."
Prithviraj Sukumaran's Aadujeevitham, which debuted on big screens on March 28, was removed from PVR-INOX's schedule in addition to the recently released films Aavesham, Varshangalkk Shesham, and Jai Ganesh.