Malayalam film producers up in arms against steep star fees, call strike

The Malayalam film industry had one of its best years in 2024, with gross box-office collection more than doubling to ₹1,165 crore from a year prior, but all's not well within the fraternity.

- Lata Jha

The Kerala Film Producers Association has announced an indefinite strike starting 1 June in protest against exorbitant star fees that they say is making movie production unviable. While the association wants star fees and other issues negotiated and resolved for movie-making to proceed unhindered, some producers have claimed that the strike announcement was made without taking all stakeholders into confidence, and would affect the livelihoods of many involved in the cinema ecosystem.

However, industry insiders point out that it's not just steep star fees that's causing stress in the Malayalam film industry. While it is true that actors had raised their fees after a surge in acquisition of movies by OTT platforms, a trend that appears to have weakened now, local body taxation and VPF (virtual print fee) charges have also added to the woes. Thus, many see the announcement as an empty threat, that is unlikely to be actually carried out.