'We don't need distributors'

Producers Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Kumar Taurani, Pahlaj Nihalani, Vashu Bhagnani, Ganesh Jain, Vikas Mohan and K D Shourie have formed the All India Filmmakers Combine.

Explains Chopra, "The group consists of those producers who have the power to release their own films. We don't need a distributor. So why should we be under the distributors' ditkat? Who are they to obstruct us from recovering our money? Their demand -- that we cannot sell our films to satellite channels or release DVDs, etc, until a certain period has lapsed -- is totally unjustified. In today's times of piracy, we have no other alternative. We are sure other producers will join us in no time."

Adds Ghai, "Those producers who are not distributors themselves will be aided by our association. We will help them to release their projects. We live in a democratic country and it is high time we breathe freely. In our association, if a producer ties up with a distributor, we will not intervene. There will be no imposition of any sort on anyone."

Taurani chips in, "It should be left to the producer and distributor in each individual case. Actually, most distributors clearly see our problem. It is their associations

that are preventing them from joining hands with us."

Says Nihalani, "Kumar Taurani is going ahead with the release of Ishq Vishk [Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao, Shenaz Treasurywala] on May 9. He has invested his hard-earned money in the film.  He has invested it with his hard work and passion. Why should be suffer? How long can we bear this injustice?"

Only Time will tell whether this new association succeeds in its lofty ideals and solves the problems between producers and distributors.

 

For now, it seems like many of these producers have joined hands simply because they have movies ready for release.

 

Nihalani's Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost (Abhishek Bachchan, Lara Dutta) is waiting in the wings. As is Ghai's Joggers' Park, directed by Anant Balani, and starring Victor Banerjee and Perizaad Zorabian. Chopra may be concerned about Supari (Uday Chopra, Nandita Das, Rahul Dev), which is expected to give his son a new lease of screen life.