“Producers Suffer the Most” – R.K. Selvamani’s Strong Words on Cinema?s Unequal Earnings

FEFSI (Film Employees Federation of South India) President R.K. Selvamani recently shared his views on the Tamil film industry during the audio launch of the upcoming movie “Jinn”, directed by D.R. Bala. The movie stars “Bigg Boss” fame Mugen Rao and Pavya Trikka of “Joe” fame, along with actors Bala Saravanan, Radha Ravi, Imman Annachi, Vadivukkarasi, and Nilgale Ravi. The film is set to release on May 30.

Speaking at the event held on May 23, Selvamani appealed to leading stars to personally listen to scripts from directors and writers rather than relying on managers or assistants. He claimed that this practice erodes the quality of cinema and hampers healthy relationships in the industry. He added that when there is no understanding between the hero, heroine, and director, the film tends to fail.

Selvamani also highlighted the financial imbalance in the industry. He said that while theaters earn up to Rs. 2 crore per day, amounting to Rs. 60 crore a month, the producers receive very little of this revenue. Losses primarily affect the producers when a film fails.

He pointed out that even songs he directed and produced require a payment of Rs. 2 lakh to be performed on stage today, yet he receives nothing from it. Addressing such issues would provide fair returns to producers, he stressed. He urged the producers’ council to hold talks and come up with a solution to ensure financial fairness in the industry.