The differences between the Producers' Council and some theatres in the Chengalpet seem to be growing, with the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association now standing with the exhibitors.
The dispute started over the profit-sharing issue of recently-released "Theri." As the talks between them failed, most theatres in the Chengalpet, Thiruvallur and Kancheepraum regions did not screen the Vijay-starrer, which caused a huge loss to the producer. Subsequently, Kalaipuli S Dhanu, with the backing from the Producers' Council, announced that the producers would not allow any Tamil films to be released in the theatres that virtually boycotted "Theri."
The Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association, which was silent all this while, has now lent its supports to the exhibitors and threatened the producers' guild that they would boycott Kalaipuli S Dhanu's "Kabali" in retaliation to their decision to not release any Tamil movie in those theatres, reports IndiaGlitz.
Pannerselvam, the secretary of Tamil Nadu Theater Owners Association, has also requested Rajinikanth to intervene in the dispute and solve it.
Meanwhile, producer and actor Udhayanidhi Stalin is not following the Producers' Council's diktat, having announced that his next movie "Manithan" will release in Chengalpet and other regions.
He tweeted: "#Manithan Wil release in arnd 300screens in TN including all available screens in tiruvallur, kanchipuram nd chengalpet district screens! [sic]" A follower asked him about the producers' decision, to which he replied: "@muthurajvembu where was the producers unity when I was rejected entertainment tax exemption for all my films for the past 5 years? [sic]" The Tamil movie will make it to theatres next week.
Meanwhile, the makers of "Kabali" are yet to announce their release plans. It is believed that the action movie, starring Rajinikanth and Radhika Apte, will release either in the last week of May or the first week of June.
