Tamil Nadu Theater Owners Association Accuses Leo Of Being Unprofitable

The Vijay-Lokesh Kanagaraj movie “Leo” has made history in Tamil cinema by becoming the highest-grossing film to date, causing immense excitement among Vijay’s fans. Even before its theatrical release, the film shattered pre-booking collection records.”Leo” surpassed Shahrukh Khan’s “Jaawan” to claim the title of the biggest Indian cinema opening, with an impressive 148.5 crores in earnings. However, theater owners in Tamil Nadu are expressing dissatisfaction with the film’s performance. Tirupur Subramaniam, the President of the Tamil Nadu Theater Owners Association, alleges that the film is not proving to be profitable for them.

A disagreement between the film’s producer and theater owners regarding revenue sharing had emerged even before the movie’s release. The distribution of “Leo” in Tamil Nadu was handled by the Seven Screen Studio, with an agreement that theater owners would contribute 80 percent of the collection, a percentage considerably higher than what other producers have demanded in the past. Initially, theater owners in Chennai had considered boycotting the film in protest. However, following negotiations, they ultimately agreed to release “Leo,” which was showcased in 850 screens across Tamil Nadu.Tirupur Subramaniam asserts that theater owners had little choice but to screen “Leo” due to the absence of alternative film releases during the festive season. He states, “‘Leo’ is not profitable for us, mainly due to the high revenue share required. This is unprecedented in Tamil Nadu. Many theater owners made a deliberate choice not to screen ‘Leo,’ and if such a high percentage sharing trend continues, it could make running theaters increasingly difficult.”Subramaniam also highlights the difference in revenue-sharing arrangements in Kerala, where “Leo” was released under a 60 percent sharing agreement. He further mentions that Jailer producer Sun Pictures agreed to a 70 percent share, which theater owners found acceptable.Tirupur Subramaniam also raises concerns about the reported collection figures for the film. He comments, “There’s no transparency in the actual collection of ‘Leo.’