Producers, plexes differ on distribution strategy; stalemate continues

MUMBAI: The members of the United Producers and Distributors Forum held a meeting with the multiplexes once again to discuss and resolve the ongoing tussle, which has been going on for too long.

The meeting, however, didn’t make any headway. Like the previous meeting, which was held on 14 May between the two parties, no solution has come out of the meeting this time too.

Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, the United Producers and Distributors Forum (UPDF) chairperson Mukesh Bhatt  said, "It’s a checkmate situation. Nothing has come out of this meeting. There is a problem in the distribution strategy. The multiplexes want us to release our movies in all their properties, which is not at all possible and is something that has never happened ever before. Their fundamentals of business are completely wrong. Besides that they also want us to count their single screen properties as multiplexes which is unheard of. A multiplex is a multiplex and a single screen is a single screen how can  we count it as a multiplex."

Ethically speaking the producers are right because no one can dictate on the distribution strategy as it is the prerogative of the distributors and the producers, Bhatt added.

Speaking about the issue, Inox director Deepak Asher said, "We have not been able to conclude all the terms and until everything is settled I will not be able to tell you much."

The current stand off is affecting not only the people related to the industry but also the regular film goers. Everyone was hopeful that this meeting would finally resolve the issue but unfortunately that has not happened.

The future of the entertainment and the media industry now seems more uncertain then ever after today’s meeting as both have reached a deadlock situation.

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Manisha Pradhan Singh

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