Cinemas in Kerala stare at a crisis as list of box-office duds grows

Cinemas in Kerala are staring at a mounting crisis amidst a string of flop movies at the box office since the start of 2023, according to an assessment by the Film Exhibitors’ United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK).

The increased building tax slabs have come as a double whammy for the sector, which employs about 12, 000 employees. Only one out of the nearly 90 movies released till April end had clicked at the box office, says K. Vijayakumar, president, FEUOK.

“Except for the movie Romancham, none of the other films has made an impact. There have been several instances where the screening of movies was cancelled after the first day owing to poor footfall. About 75% of the releases since January had a similar fate,” he says.

Mr. Vijayakumar says the financial situation is getting worse, as banks have confiscated the property of five cinema halls following default in repayment of loans. “Nearly 15 cinema halls are on the verge of being taken over by financial institutions. Around 25% of the theatre owners had incurred bank loan arrears,” he says.

Mr. Vijayakumar says people are not coming to the cinemas unless the movie demands an experience on the big screen. “The trend of giving preference for digital-first release instead of a theatrical release, which was encouraged by a section of lead actors and producers in the pandemic times, has now turned against the industry,” he adds.

The FEUOK has urged the government to intervene immediately to resolve the crisis that has affected the entire Malayalam film industry.