Faction-ridden Producers Council goes to polls

CHENNAI: Following months of uncertainty over the council’s leadership and mud-slinging between members, the highly factionalised body of film producers will on Sunday elect fresh office-bearers to the Tamil Film Producers Council. As many as 775 producers are expected to elect the new team, choosing between the ones led by the incumbent acting president SA Chandrasekharan- Thayaarippaalar Nalan Kaakum Ani, and producer KR (A Kothanda Ramaiah), representing Tamilnadu Thayarippalargal Munnetra Ani.The elections will end a five-month impasse at the producers council, whose previous president Rama Narayan quit after the change in state government in May this year. Among the two vice-presidents serving the council then, producer-filmmaker SA Chandrasekaran took over as the acting president, an act which many producers opposed. Their calls for fresh elections to choose the new office-bearers were paid heed to only in September, and fresh elections announced for October 9. KR, a founder-trustee of the Tamil Film Producers Council’s trust since 1987 who had earlier served as head of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, was announced presidential candidate from the other team to contest the elections.On Sunday, members will be elected for the post of six office-bearers, including president, two vice-presidents, two secretaries and a treasurer, and 21 executive committee members. Twelve of the existing 27 office-bearers of the council are seeking re-election for different posts.Much mudslinging and finger-pointing has taken place between the two teams. While Chandrasekaran’s team has accused certain members of the previous team of corruption, producers in KR’s team have reminded SAC that he was an important office-bearer in the same team that he now accuses of corruption. Both teams have made assurances towards the welfare of small producers, as their poll plank.Popular producers in the fray for important posts this time include KR and SAC for president, Sathyajothi Thyagarajan, T Siva, Kathiresan and Radhakrishnan for vice president, Anbalaya Prabakaran and S Dhanu for treasurer.