B-school to run Kollywood?

Khushbu, actress, producer and distributor says, “These so called B-school guys have ruined Tamil cinema, by entering the market without doing a proper study. As a result, they have pushed up the cost of production. What do these guys, sitting in the cool comfort of their offices in Mumbai and Chennai, know about collections, audiences profile or the topography of a Theni or a Dindigul film market?”

The B-school boys and their management skills have come in for sharp criticism in the industry after the failure of a superstar film which they bought for a ridiculous amount. The company, which purchased the film, also took over 200 theatres in Tamil Nadu on lease, but is struggling to keep afloat today. Says Balasubramaniam, a theatre owner in Coimbatore who had leased out his twin theatres to the company, “I was running my theatre well before these guys took it on lease. They claimed that they would professionalise the business, but ended up with egg on their face.”

Kandaswamy Bharathan, an MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad and a leading producer says, “The word corporatisation, when it comes to the film industry, should be defined in a broader context. Films have to be considered as products — there is production, pricing, distribution and they satisfy the needs of customers through entertainment.” Kandaswamy also added that today, a lot of young B-school boys are venturing into production, distribution and other sectors of film business, which require a professional approach.
However P L Thenappan, a leading producer begs to differ. Says he, “I’m a school drop out, but I have made more than a dozen hit films with big stars like Kamal Haasan. I know how the trade functions better than any B-school graduate. These guys have created chaos in the industry by making films without any budget constraints, paid salaries to stars which were not viable and most importantly, they do not understand the pulls and pressures of filmmaking.”

The argument is never ending as financial analysts and entertainment industry trackers who have graduated out of B-schools feel that there is gold in Tamil film production and trade if the “best minds in the business run Kollywood.” Recently, a leading corporate completed their new film Kandein Kadhalai in a record five months. This is quite a feat considering veteran producers are still struggling to finish their big budget films two years after the film was launched!

Says producer G Dhananjayan, who has made quality films like Poo, Raman Thediya Seethai and now Kandein Kadhalai, “We have brought in a professional approach to filmmaking by completing our films on time. We are currently testing waters and if we are confident, then we will definitely invest more.” Concludes Swaroop Reddy, owner of a leading multiplex in the city, and one of the key players to bring about a change in the Tamil film business, “Much can be said by both sides. At the end of the day, it does not matter if you are a traditionalist or a modernist. It is the passion for cinema that is the driving force in show business.”