CHENNAI: A meeting of the Tamil Film Producer's Council on Sunday ended on a stormy note as two groups owing allegiance to different political parties fought. The council meeting held in the Film chambers theatre in Chennai passed 15 resolutions including one urging the state government to cancel licenses of theatres that charged more than the rate mandated by the government. But the skirmish started when producer S B Muthu Bharathi of Velu Thevar films banner accused the DMK government of not allotting free land for the film fraternity. The land for the Film Employees Federation of South India for a township has been given on lease by the government, he said. Angry DMK supporters among the audience shouted down Bharathi and demanded that officials ask him to leave the meeting.
Bharathi later told TOI that he was assaulted by Producer R Iyappan of Yogesh Films and his supporters.
Muthu Bharathi said the state government had allotted 90 acres land on a 99-year lease to construct houses for film industry workers. This was not acceptable as they would have to return the land to the government after the lease expired. He also alleged that the producers' council availed bank loan for construction of houses and "favoured " certain people. "When I spoke about this at the meeting others objected. I was beaten up later outside the meeting venue," he said. Producers' council president Rama Narayanan denied the charges and said tenders would be invited first for construction before allotment of the houses.
Bharathi said some of the producers, who ran television channels as well, had an advantage over others. "The frequent advertisements of their films in television channels help them. But small producers suffer," he said.
Ayyappan denied that he had physically assaulted Bharathi who threatened to hold an agitation to protest the "attitude" of some of the members of the council. EOM
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