Renuka says Producer ultimate victim

Last week, in the opening article of this series on how Covid-19 would impact our local cinema industry, renowned film producer said though there were about beneficiaries who profited from the income of a movie screening, during a crisis it was only the producers who had to bear the entire brunt all by themselves.

She said when a film is screened a share of 10% goes to the distributor or the film circuit, and other percentages go to the National Film Corporation, the local govt. bodies as levies and the cinema hall owners. They never invest in the production of the film.

“But during a crisis like the one we are currently facing, the above beneficiaries remain silent while only the film producer has to suffer alone. In my case I have invested millions on my latest film ‘Tsunami’ but have so far not received a red cent as returns. This is the fate of producers in this country. This system has to change soon,” she said.

‘Tsunami’ directed by Dr. Somaratne Dissanayake and produced by Renuka Balasuriya was the last crowd-pulling Sinhala movie that drew large crowds to cinemas, but the film’s forward march was brought to a halt with the closure of cinema halls around mid-March this year.