The Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association has always opposed the release of movies directly on TV and online. The guild has reiterated its stand again after it was revealed that Jyothika's Ponmagal Vandhal would skip the theatrical release and would directly have its digital premiere.
TNTMA to Impose Ban
R Panneer Selvam, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Association (TNTMA), has announced that the movies made by 2D Entertainment and films starring Suriya will not be allowed for theatrical release.
According to reports, the association had requested the 2D Entertainment not to release directly on digital medium. The movie was scheduled for release on 27 March, but the production house has refused to comply with the request.
Ponmagal Vandhal on Amazon Prime
As a result, the TNTMA has decided to impose a ban on Suriya's movies and the films made by his 2D Entertainment. LetsOTT Global had announced about the digital premiere of Ponmagal Vandhal. "Premier Alert : First Tamil feature film to get a Direct OTT release.
"#PonMagalVandhal (Tamil) streaming rights bagged by @PrimeVideoIN. Streaming from 1st week of May. Follow @LetsOTT for live updates and reviews from your favourite streaming platforms, [sic]" it wrote. This film will be first film in Kollywood to have its digital premiere, if this materialises.
Vishwaroopam Controversy
This is not the first time where the theatre owners have threatened the actors and filmmakers of taking such bold decision. Infamously, it had imposed ban on Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroopam after the Ulaganayagan decided to have a TV premiere along with its theatrical release.
In the end, Kamal Haasan buckle down under pressure and he shelved his unique attempt in the end.
Coming back to Ponmagal Vandhal, the film has Jyothika, K Bhagyaraj and R Parthiban in the key roles. It is directed by JJ Fredrick.
The theatres in Tamil Nadu are under lockdown due to Coronavirus outbreak. There is no clarity on when the situation returns to normalcy and when the theatre could start their regular operations. This fact seems to have made Suriya plan the release os his wife's film directly on a digital platform.
