The Competition Commission of India has received its first complaint from the Indian film industry.

IN a way, it could be seen as yet another positive sign of Bollywood going legit and conducting its affairs as any other industry in a transparent manner.

After being officially accorded the status of an organised industry a few years ago, it was the first time anyone from Bollywood had approached the Competition Commission to seek relief.

Actor Ajay Devgn earlier in the month complained to the Commission that Yashraj Films was exploiting its dominant position to deny him an adequate number of single-screen theatres for the release of his film on the auspicious occasion of Diwali, the festival of lights.

Though film-land biggies were surprised at the unusual plea by the actor-producer, there was grudging recognition that Bollywood was now willing to seek redress of its disputes through open, lawful channels. In an earlier era, such matters would have been settled through the intervention of the dominant moneybag financing film production or by a mafia don known to strike fear among the film folks.

Indeed, it was not uncommon till very recently for underworld bosses to dictate the choice of stars in films which relied on their funds.

Even though he established a principle, Devgn’s complaint was dismissed at the preliminary stage. The Commission said he had failed to establish how Yashraj Films had used its dominant position in an unfair manner. He had not furnished the number of single-screen theatres which had refused to exhibit his film.

Devgn first approached the Delhi High Court which asked him to seek redress from the Competition Commission. He had argued that Yashraj Films was dictating exhibitors to screen its latest offering, the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jab Tak Hai Jaan, while pressurising them not to accept for screening his own film, Son of Sardar.

Since Yashraj Films had produced several box-office hits, Devgn alleged, theatre-owners felt obliged to take heed of its demands.

Films from both banners are set to be released on Nov 13 to coincide with Diwali, a major festival guaranteeing a high turnout for new Bollywood releases. Following the death of Yash Chopra last month, there was added interest in his latest directorial venture.

Since Yashraj Films is one of the biggest banners in Bollywood, it is not unnatural for Devgn to feel insecure, especially when Son of Sardar was his own home production and he had invested his own money in it.

But the old-fashioned film folks disapproved of his approaching the Competition Commission.

Devgn was at pains to stress that he too held Yash Chopra in high regard and revealed that he had filed the petition in the Delhi High Court when the legendary film-maker was still alive.

Why are single-screen cinemas so important to Devgn? Their number is dwindling – at the turn of the century they numbered over 12,000 – but they usually have 1,000-plus seats, and a box-office hit could generate far more revenue in single-screen cinemas than it could in 150- to 200-seater multiplexes.

A large number of single-screen theatres, especially in big cities, were converted into multiplexes or even shopping malls and office complexes. The conversion was essentially dictated by the humongous rise in the value of land, and assured its owners much bigger returns than if they had persisted with single-screen theatres.

Also, multiplexes were good for niche cinema, and even art films, but a popular film filling up single-screen theatres meant enormous profits for its producers. Hence, the actor-producer Devgn’s anxiety to have as many such theatres for his home production as he could muster. Approaching the Competition Commission was a bad idea but a desperate Devgn did not want to leave it untried.

As it is, there is an added buzz to Jab Tak Hai Jaan after the death of its producer-director Yashraj Chopra. The promotions of the film are being shown on most television news channels while a special screening is scheduled at the Yashraj Studios ahead of its commercial release on Nov 13.

All heroines who have starred in films made by Chopra will be present on the occasion and so will the entire industry to pay tribute yet again to the iconic director.

In sharp contrast, Devgn hardly commands the same star value as Shah Rukh Khan. Nor does he have the means to match the Yashraj Films. It is thus natural for him to feel his film might miss out on public attention by sheer default. It could also be that the move to challenge Yashraj Films was not entirely devoid of the publicity angle.

Admittedly, Devgn has featured in a number of box-office hits, usually revenge-action dramas with lots of blood and gore. Shah Rukh Khan, on the other hand, is a romantic hero, serenading his women on exotic locales abroad. The Yashraj-Shah Rukh team has given a number of super-duper hits, including Darr and Dil To Pagal Hai.

Meanwhile, the government’s decision to clamp down on analogue cable television in the four big metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai – and to enforce the switch to digital or direct-to-home (DTH) telecast is bound to result in a huge bonanza for the entertainment industry, especially Bollywood.

From midnight of Oct 31, households without set-top boxes for DTH telecast suffered blackouts. There was resistance to the switch in Chennai and Kolkata but the government hopes to enforce the new system very soon.

Gradually, the entire country is set to move from the analogue to digital system, which is far more transparent and does not allow local cable operators to fudge figures of their actual subscribers. The switch will address the long-standing grievance of the stakeholders in the entertainment industry who have felt short-changed by the hitherto disorganised multi-system operators.

Producers of films and other content shown on various television channels were invariably cheated by cable operators who grossly understated the actual number of subscribers, thus vastly under-paying them. The digitisation would also help fight piracy of films and illegal screening by cable operators.

Notably, it is important for a Bollywood film to succeed on the regular cinema network for its satellite rights to be bought by one or the other television channel for an all-India telecast.

For instance, if Devgn’s Son of Sardar proves a box-office hit, he is assured of a handsome sum in fees for the sale of satellite rights to one of the many competing television channels. With digitisation of television transmission, satellite rights for popular films are bound to fetch far more than they did in the analogue era.

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