Actor Vijay Sethupathi recently attended the audio launch event of Parimala & Co, directed by Pandiraj and starring Jayaram and Urvashi. During the event, fans in the audience started chanting “Vaathi,” a nickname connected to actor and current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay. The two actors had earlier worked together in the hit film Master.
While speaking on stage, Vijay Sethupathi made two important requests to Chief Minister Vijay for the improvement of the Tamil film industry, also known as Kollywood. Referring to a recent statement by Kamal Haasan, Sethupathi requested the Tamil Nadu government to launch its own OTT platform. According to him, the OTT business grew very fast in recent years but later became unstable, creating confusion for filmmakers and producers.
Sethupathi explained that many people in the film industry are struggling to understand the changing digital market. He felt that a government backed OTT platform could help organise things better and provide more support to Tamil cinema. He said it would be beneficial if the state government took steps to manage the digital entertainment space more effectively.
The actor also spoke about theatre ticket prices. He pointed out that prices of almost everything have increased over the years, but cinema ticket prices have mostly remained unchanged for a long time. According to him, film production costs have become much higher now, making it difficult for producers to recover their investments. He added that although filmmakers earn money through digital rights and streaming deals, many still face financial pressure.
Earlier, Kamal Haasan had also requested Chief Minister Vijay to introduce several reforms for the film industry. His suggestions included allowing five movie shows per day in theatres to increase revenue, removing local entertainment taxes, forming a strong anti piracy team, and creating a mandatory eight week gap before films release on OTT platforms.
Actor Vishal had also earlier shared his concerns after Vijay announced his cabinet ministers. Vishal questioned the appointment of the minister handling film related matters and said the industry needed leadership from someone with deeper understanding of cinema and its current challenges. He also urged the government to introduce a proper ticket booking system, remove entertainment taxes, and increase financial support for smaller films.
Since Vijay became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, many actors and filmmakers have openly shared their suggestions with him. Industry members believe that because Vijay himself has spent decades in cinema, he understands the problems faced by filmmakers, producers, and theatre owners better than most politicians.