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A long-simmering conflict in the Tamil film industry, between producers and technicians, reached a crucial moment on Monday as the Madras High Court declined to issue interim relief against a non-cooperation protest launched by the technicians.
In the conflict between the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), Justice K Kumaresh Babu, hearing a civil suit filed by TFPC against FEFSI, suggested that both parties recommend names of retired High Court judges who could be appointed as neutral mediators. The court has given until Wednesday for both sides to submit names.
The producers had sought a stay on the FEFSI’s protest, which has disrupted multiple ongoing film productions in the state.
The FEFSI, an umbrella body representing 24 technicians’ and film workers’ unions, has been at loggerheads with the TFPC since the expiry of a three-year MoU on March 9. The MoU governed wages, working conditions, and cooperative norms between producers and technicians.
In court, FEFSI’s legal counsel, advocate G Mohanakrishnan, painted a stark picture of inequality in the Tamil film industry. “Top actors are paid Rs 300 crore per movie, while technicians struggle to get even Rs 3,000 a day,” he argued, calling the situation untenable and exploitative. He further alleged that TFPC was attempting to undermine the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu-based technicians by importing workers from other states to continue film shoots stalled by the impasse.
The producers’ side, represented by advocate Krishna Ravindran, countered that TFPC comprises mainly small-budget filmmakers — not the few mega-budget producers driving exorbitant salaries for actors. He emphasised that TFPC had followed a consistent practice of signing MoUs with FEFSI every three years and was willing to renew the agreement, but was met with hostility and allegations instead.
Central to the producers’ grievance is the charge that FEFSI’s protest has brought the industry to a standstill. “Ongoing production works have been stalled, resulting in major financial losses,” said Ravindran. “Technicians affiliated with FEFSI are refusing to cooperate, jeopardising the livelihood of hundreds of others involved in film projects,” he alleged.
In April, the federation issued a circular to all its 23 affiliated unions, asking them not to cooperate with TFPC members. The move came after FEFSI accused TFPC of secretly backing a rival technicians’ association — Tamil Nadu Thiraipada Thozhilalargal Sammelanam — in what it believes is an effort to splinter the organised workforce.
The producers deny any link to the new association. “TFPC has no involvement in setting up any rival union,” said Ravindran. But he did acknowledge that the deadlock had pushed some producers to explore working with a separate body, the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA), as a workaround to continue stalled projects.
As the impasse deepens, the Tamil Nadu government has taken note. Minister for Information and Publicity, M P Saminathan, is expected to step in to mediate talks, underlining the growing public and political pressure to resolve the conflict.
In court, Justice Babu was firm in his observation that he could not compel FEFSI to resume work with TFPC, given that the binding MoU had lapsed. However, he did note that individual producers could pursue legal action if existing work agreements had been violated. He also expressed concern that both sides risk further erosion of goodwill and financial damage if the matter is not resolved swiftly.
With both FEFSI and TFPC expected to submit their recommended names for a retired High Court judge to mediate, the coming week will be critical for whether this is going to be a step toward reconciliation or a deeper institutional rupture in Tamil cinema’s labour landscape.
