Raising their hackles again

The year 2009 seems to be a jinxed one for the film industry. Just when the box office is coming alive, a new battlefront has opened up between multiplex owners and film producers over the latter releasing films on direct-to-home (DTH) platforms soon after the theatrical release. The trigger for the stand-off was the unexpected release of the UTV production Main Aur Mrs Khanna on pay-per-view channels on DTH just five days after its release in the cinema halls on October 16. According to industry sources, the movie caused a dent in multiplex revenues but raked in over Rs 20 crore from DTH screening, »»»