`BOND’ PROBLEM IN BANGALORE
Casino Royale Restricted

Report by - CNB                       Date -17th November  2006           Time - 02.00 PM

‘A stormy meeting in the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce had a desired effect when the big budget English Film "Casino Royale' the new bond film was made to release in only a selected number of theatres, as per the self regulation of the film chamber.

This action is bound to please the Kannada film producers who are waging a war against the big release of non Kannada films at the expense of Kannada films which are not getting good theatres for the release. The self regulation code of the film chamber stipulates that any non Kannada film can be released in only ten single screen theatres though there are no restrictions on the multiplexes.

The screening of the new Bond film "Casino Royale’ was stopped in unauthorized theatres which had given some huge advances to obtain the exhibition rights to their theatres.

"Casino Royale' release was planned in around 25 theatres in the city. Now, with the restrictions imposed on the release in only ten theatres, the unauthorised screening has been stopped.

The film was released by Sony films, Mumbai who had contacted the theatres on their own without any intermediary distributor. The Bangalore based representative of Sony was called to the KFCC office on Thursday night, and was advised that the company had violated the self regulation code of the KFCC.

The representative is believed to have said that they did not have any prior knowledge of the regulation code and immediately agreed to cancellation of supply of prints to unauthorised theatres.

The thrusday evening meeting in the film chamber was attended by Sa. Ra. Govindoo, Vice President of the KFCC, K.C.N. Kumar, Secretary and Mars Suresh, Vijayakumar, Secretary, Venkatesh, an exhibitor and others.

Sony films has sent an apology letter to the film chamber implying that they were not aware of the self regulation code and had planned a big release in the state. They have now agreed to screen in 10 single screen theatres and three multiplexes which does not violate the self regulation code.

Now, the film will be screened in PVR, INOX and Innovative multiplexes and single screen theatres like Symphony, Urvashi, Mukunda, Eshwari, Radhadrishna, Lakshmi, Navrang (two shows), Venkateshwara, KR Puram and Balaji theatres.

Sony films have also assured the film chamber that the advance amount taken from cancelled theatres will be refunded immediately and in future they will not supply films to non members.