K'town affected by ban on currency notes

When the news of the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes broke, it took a while for all the people to understand what was really going on.

This ban is probably one of the mightiest announcements ever made in India. Like any other announcement, it will have its own merits and perils. Though certain sections of people have come to terms with the decision and believe that it would curb black money, Kollywood, amongst other industries, will suffer the most —  as they are unable to give daily wages to the employees.

Until the new rupee notes kick in, shooting and distribution of several films might face the wrath. Director Bramma, who is currently shooting  Jyothika-starrer Magalir Mattum, claims that he is tense. “The news is a path-breaker, but I am quite skeptical about how the daily wage workers on my sets would get paid. The chief technicians and the actors need not worry as they get paid in advance. But there will be hundreds of people working on the sets and it is difficult to pay them considering the circumstances. We may also face a condition where shooting may be halted! I am speculating this state to last at least for a week,” he asserts.

But for some like producer KE Gnanavel Raja, the currency ban is not a threat at all. He explains, “I always work in an organised manner and I have sorted out the issue. I will make sure that the daily wage bearers do not suffer because of me.”
Praveen Mohanram of Devi Theatre states that there has been a drop in collections as compared to yesterday. “The online ticketing is up and running and there is no problem with that. The issue arises when we run out of Rs 100 notes, as we have stopped receiving Rs 500 and Rs 1000. We have requested the viewers to tender exact change. Since ATMs are shut for two days, there may be a huge drop in collections,” he quips.

Producer Shibu Thameens of Iru Mugan fame claims that this decision would help producers in the long run though. “Let’s face the truth — most of the producers today face loss. When the system becomes transparent, it will avoid conspiracy and the last-minute IT raids. As producers, we pay a huge chunk of money as taxes. It will be helpful if the government scrapes off the service and
entertainment taxes,” he opines.

When asked if daily wage bearers would face problem because of the ban, Shibu says, “In my production house, we pay workers once every five days. So, it is technically not daily wages. Also, they are ready to adjust if there is a minor delay in payment.”

The entire industry sees this announcement as a welcome change as it would make business cleaner. Echoing the same thoughts, distributor Tirupur Subramanian says, “There are people who enter cinema to turn their black money into white. For them, it is a huge blow and they won’t be able to rule the industry as they do now. For a week, there may be a bit of a problem — but in the long run it will help the cine industry as the entire process, right from the actors’ salaries to the wages of the light-men, is streamlined and accounted for properly. We (distributors) welcome this decision with open hands.”