Actors versus producers

Will the Malayalam film industry suffer the same fate as many other enterprises in Kerala, thanks to unrestrained trade unionism?

The industry has already been plagued by numerous problems like dearth of good stories, declining production values, ageing superstars, and the audience's preference for slicker Tamil and Hindi films over low-tech Malayalam cinema.

Now it is a victim of a confrontation between the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and the Kerala Film Chamber (KFC). The conflict has brought the industry to a virtual standstill.

The balance appears to be tilting towards the KFC. A few directors are resuming work with new faces.

Veteran actors like Lalu Alex, Suresh Krishna and Prithviraj are signing contracts with KFC. Young actors like Jayasurya, Meera Jasmine and Bhavana are expected to follow suit.