Efforts to release films in the cans - Rowther

Ibrahim Rowther, producer of Rowther Films and close confidante of actor Vijaykant defeated noted producer-director and distributor Kayaar in a fiercely contested election for the post of the president of Tamil Film Producers Council. Rowther was backed by KRG former president of TFPC.

Rowther said that he was associated with the council as its executive committee member and felt that the council was doing a yeoman service to the producers by solving its problems. Detailing the future moves, Rowther said that as the first step, the council would take the responsibility of getting clearance for shooting at public places since the producers, at present, have to run from pillar to post for the clearance in some regions and this bottleneck would be hereafter avoided. Secondly, the funds of the council would be used to help members who are in financial problems, give monetary aid to members when their children are getting married and an immediate assistance of Rs. 10,000 to the family when a member dies and Rs. 1 lakh later as aid.

He said that many films were lying unfinished or for want of buyers and efforts will be taken to get these films released by asking the state government to help out in way of increase in subsidy and get bank loans on nominal interest. Rowther, a close friend of Vijaykant from his salad days, built his banner by producing films, starring his friend. On the political front, Rowther is close to Moopanar, the supremo of TMC the breakaway faction of Congress(I) while Vijaykant is closer to DMK supremo Karunanidhi. The election generated a lot of heat because the nomination of Rowther as president candidate went against the ‘gentleman agreement’ with Kayaar.

The battle for the TFPC started when Kayaar (vice president of SIFCC) decided to take an active interest in the council affairs. K Rajan, Vijaykumar and Chitra Lakshmanan and several other office bearers sided with Kayaar in his battle against KRG, the president. The feud dates back to the time when six years ago Kayaar sided with KRG to oust Kovai Cheziyan from the council. KRG on assuming office as the president got involved in activating the council and made it into a powerful body of the Tamil industry.

His popularity with the producer members grew and Kayaar got sidelined and eventually shifted his base to SIFCC. However this year with the SIFCC president post scheduled to go to the Tamil film industry, Kayaar decided to take an active interest in Tamil film industry politics. At first he got K Rajan, the producer-distributor, to contest against Chintamani Murugesan who was the president of the Chennai Distributor’ Association for 18 years. Hectic lobbying by Kayaar led to Murugesan being defeated. This came as a big morale booster for Kayaar.

Next was the council where KRG found himself isolated from the office bearers of the council and he resigned in a huff. The agreement then was that Kayaar would be supported for the president post in SIFCC and a common candidate from the major banners like Laxmi Movie Makers, Thiruvalluvar Kalai Koodam on Rowther Films would be selected and a contest was avoided so that KRG would not be able to play any role in the elections.

In the process of selection of a common candidate, the ranks of Kayaar fell apart. Finally when Kayaar himself decided to be the president candidate, the groups that were with him split up and Rowther turned into a rallying point. Meanwhile Vijaykant who was elected president of Nadigar Sangham (Artistes Association) offered to meditate and avoid a contest and it failed. AL Alagappan, a close confidence of DMK supremo Karunanidhi, pitched his lot with Rowther. With a division in the ranks of Kayaar, the decisive role was once again played by KRG. He pitched his lot with Rowther and turned the tables against Kayaar.

Kayaar had solved many problems in the interim period and even got artistes to come to the council to sort out matters. He had planned out a great alliance where the distributors led by Rajan and himself in the council would bring about many changes to control costs and increase revenue by effectively exploiting overseas, VCD and internet rights. Rowther who had a lot of financial problems settled his debts with the release of the Vijaykant-starrer Simhasanam. Now the next round of battle will be in the SIFCC where the lobbies led by Murugesan and KRG would bring about a change. It’s broadly agreed that L Suresh of Ananda Pictures would be the common candidate of the Tamil industry but the upset in the council elections could lead to breaking up of the ‘agreement’.

AP