While the council puts forth the request during every annual meeting, it adopted it as a demand this time, citing the poor run that the industry has been witnessing in the last few months. Another oft-repeated demand that was raised as a resolution this time was for actors to focus on theatrical releases instead of web series for OTT platforms.

According to the resolution, A-list stars like Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar must shift to a profit-sharing arrangement, keeping in mind the drastic losses incurred in satellite and digital rights even for star-studded films in the recent past.

Talking to DT Next, TFPC president Murali Ramasamy pointed out that Dhanush was one of the first stars in recent times to venture into profit sharing. “This will take some time but it will surely happen before other stars too agree to this. If they don’t, producing films will be more difficult. Some A-listers have started signing films for producers from other states, but even those films ended up being flops. Very soon, production companies from other states, too, will foray into the profit-sharing model.”

Commenting on the resolution asking actors to shift their focus from web series, he said the remuneration for web series is much higher than films. “The salary they charge for a web series is higher and when they come back to films, small-time producers are unable to afford them,” he added.