Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 16 : The ace producers of the South Film Industry praised Kamal Haasan for his open letter regarding the "practical and sustainable operating practices for efficient filmmaking" after PM Narendra Modi called for responsible use of resources amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.
The Kalki 2898 AD producer Vyjayanthi Movies, which is one of the leading production banners in Telugu cinema, appreciated Kamal Haasan's call for the "responsible measures" in filmmaking.
Taking to their X handle, Vyjanthi Movies wrote, "Incredible man. Incredible words. At a crucial time for the cinema industry, Mr Kamal Haasan is among the first to step forward and speak about responsible measures to control costs and protect the future of cinema. Truly appreciate it, sir."
https://x.com/VyjayanthiFilms/status/2055278456947257428?
Shibu Thameen, the producer of Thalapathy Vijay's superhit film 'Puli' called Kamal Haasan's initiative the "need of the hour" and recalled the success of the small-budgeted South cinema films.
Taking to his X handle, the producer wrote, "It's need of the hour and always ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan sir. Who always initiate ideas, as well first one to apply innovative techniques in Indian cinema. I think, It's the script which demands the said prep/shoot/post/ actors/ technicians/ location/ art etc. Hope the discipline will start from script development itself keeping the audience in mind."
"Let's congratulate Love today, Tourist family, with love, youth, Thai kizhavi..and lots of recent small budgeted successful Malayalam films as a model - Sorry, not a statement, just adding my views as a maker, who is learning from few failures," added the producer.
https://x.com/shibuthameens/status/2055355509369438212?
In a significant move reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for responsible use of resources, veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan on Friday penned an open letter to the Indian film industry, urging the members to come up with "practical andIn a significant move reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for responsible use of resources, veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan on Friday penned an open letter to the Indian film industry, urging the members to come up with "practical and sustainable operating practices for efficient filmmaking." sustainable operating practices for efficient filmmaking."
"Dear friends, colleagues, and members of the film fraternity, the continuing crisis in West Asia is deepening and the world is facing growing pressure on energy, trade, logistics, and economic stability. India, too is inevitably feeling the impact of rising fuel, energy, logistics, and production costs. For the Indian film industry, this comes at a time when budgets are already escalating and market recoveries remain uneven. Rising costs will not affect film production alone. Consumer spending patterns for entertainment may also change in the months ahead due to inflationary pressures. The burden will inevitably fall on producers, workers, theatres, distributors, financiers, and the entire ecosystem. If cinema must continue to grow, we must ensure that every rupee spent serves the film, and not merely the appearance of scale," he emphasised.
He spoke about how, instead of relying on foreign locations for shooting, filmmakers should explore and utilise local destinations.
"Let me be clear. Any correction in cinema economics must never come at the cost of workers' wages, safety, dignity, food, transport, accommodation, or humane working conditions. The burden cannot fall on those who labour the hardest. The correction we need is elsewhere: in avoidable waste, poor planning, inflated entourage culture, unnecessary foreign travel, production delays, and the growing disconnect between spending and purpose. Why must every love story bloom only in Paris, and every honeymoon end in Switzerland? Romance, fortunately, does not require foreign exchange. Indian cinema, and Indians, deserve a little more confidence in themselves and our beautiful country. I believe this is the right time for a meeting of minds across the Indian cinema industry," he said.
The call for efficient filmmaking comes after PM Modi urged citizens to prioritise work from home, cut fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, reduce cooking oil use, shift to natural farming and curb gold purchases amid the West Asia conflict, while addressing a gathering in Secunderabad.