Strike pushes new releases to Christmas

<I>Venicile Vyapari</i>, an important film for Mammootty

The on-going strike in various sectors of the Malayalam film industry has pushed the release date of new films to Christmas!

Every section of the industry- production, distribution and exhibition is on some strike or other. Unless the Kerala government steps in, the current impasse cannot be sorted out.

However nobody is coming forward to sort out the issue.

This means there will not be any new releases this coming Friday (November 18). It is clear that the biggies- Mammootty’s Venicile Vyapari and Mohanlal’s Marubhoomi Katha that was due on 11/11/11, has been pushed to Christmas!

Traditionally the Malayalam film trade does not like big films releasing in the last week of November up to December third week. The reasons are it is the Sabarimala season and students will be studying for their semester exams.

Now it is almost certain that Venicile Vyapari and Marubhoomi Katha will release only for Christmas. There is also enough time for the various organisations who are now on strike to sort out their vexing issues.

Production has also come to a standstill as films that were originally planned for Christmas like Mammootty’s King & Commissioner and Mohanlal’s Casanovva will now get pushed to January 2012.