Click to play videoBangalore: The dispute over the Hogenakkal water canal project is still raging between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Tamil Nadu government has asked the Centre to intervene.
In Karnataka, activists are planning to stage protests at Kollegal, near the border. After films, activists are also planning to ban the screening of Tamil TV channels.
This affects theatres in Tamil-dominated areas, such as Ulsoor. Thriving on revenue from Tamil viewers, any inter-state dispute means a no-show.
"Last seven to eight years, it has been happening just like that. Strikes happen every often and we are used to closing down cinemas,” said Ajanta Theatre’s manager, T N Lakshman.
As it is, theatres have been losing business to the cable channels and the pirated CD industry.
Over the last two years, nearly 500 theatres have shut shop across Karnataka.
Tamil films contribute at least Rs 50 crore of the Rs 150 crore annual revenue for theatre-owners.
It happens invariably, though, that Tamil films get banned for at least three months every year and theatres have to switch suddenly to Kannada films.
Activists say this is the best mode of non-violent protest.
“If films are banned, distributors will suffer and put pressure on their government. Next, we'll force Tamil channels off air,” stated Kannada Rakshana Vedika President, Narayan Gowda.
Tension is mounting in Tamil-speaking areas as the dispute rages on, and it is hurting the Tamil film industry.
“There'll be a hunger strike, condemning the attack on Tamil theatres where Tamil movies are being projected in Karnataka on fourth of this month,” said President Sarath Kumar of the South Indian Artist Association.
It's the ugadi and vishu season and film directors on both sides of the border have lined up a slew of releases for the next four to eight weeks, including the Kamal Hassan-starrer Dasavatharam.
With the Hogenakkal issue showing no signs of resolving, it is the film buff who is bearing the brunt of this dispute.
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