KOCHI: Producer Listin Stephen has taken a conciliatory approach to resolve the ongoing issues in the Malayalam film industry. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Listin, who is also the treasurer of the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA), announced that he will take steps to address the concerns.
The recent controversy sparked a war of words between producers and artists. Acknowledging the tension, Listin admitted that social media posts and remarks between producers were unnecessary. He said he has initiated discussions with Antony Perumbavoor and Suresh Kumar, the vice-president of KFPA, to find a solution.
Listin said that the issues should have been discussed between the two producers. “Both of them are association members. The Facebook post and personal remarks were unnecessary. They are our members and will stand for the decisions of the association. I have initiated a discussion with both Antony Perumbavoor and Suresh Kumar,” he said.
“There was a discussion in the association about the rising production cost, remuneration of the actors and technicians, and low demand for our films on OTT platforms. Antony Perumbavoor was not aware of the discussion as he didn’t attend the meeting,” he said, adding that the association will go ahead with the indefinite strike from June if the discussions with the government fail to bring a solution for the financial crisis the film industry is facing.
According to him, other issues that were discussed in the meeting of representatives of film bodies held last week were minimum theatre guarantee, actor/technician remuneration, and double taxation.