Commissions in cinema must be abolished: ‘Red Label’ producer Lenin’s sensational speech!
I stopped the shooting on the sixth day itself give due to FEFSI: ‘Red Label’ producer’s poignant speech!
This film is directed by K.R. Vinoth. Produced by Lenin under the banner of Revgen Film Factory, the story is written by Pon. Parthiban, and the cinematography is by Satish Meiyappan. Kailash Menon has composed the music, and Lawrence Kishore has handled the editing.
Lenin plays the male lead, and Asmin plays the female lead.
Director R.V. Udhayakumar plays an important role. Munishkanth appears in a guest role, and directors Anumohan, Tarun, Kevin, Karmegam Sasi, and Anusha have also acted in the film.
The press conference for the ‘Red Label’ film, which is scheduled to be released on February 6th, was held today at Prasad Lab. Speaking at the event, Lenin, the film’s producer and lead actor, said:
“I am always punctual. I wanted to follow the same principle in cinema as well. I chose this director because he was punctual. I wanted to continue doing things systematically in cinema too. If you do any work honestly, things will fall into place. The result will be good. For this film, we looked at five actresses before Asmin came along as the sixth.
I gained many experiences from this single film. Even registering the film’s title was an interesting experience. Initially, we registered a title. We got it, but then they said it had expired. I didn’t know that it needed to be renewed. Apparently, it has to be renewed within a year. When registering a title at the Film Chamber, we have to follow a certain procedure.
If the Film Chamber is computerized and integrated, this work can be done very easily. Many problems can be solved. But nobody does this. I am ready to help you, and that too for free. No paperwork or running around is needed. Everything can be done simply.
I first selected good technical crew members and only then chose the actors. You can see that I did the right thing because my music director received an award in Kerala, and my editor received a Tamil Nadu State Government award. For a film, actors with star power are necessary. However, good technical crew members are also essential. I didn’t come here to make money. I came here because of my love for cinema.
The story was selected in 2023, and I liked the story. But it seemed that every film that came out had scenes similar to those in our film. So I watched all the films that came out last year. Eight films are released every week. In all of them, it seemed like what we had envisioned was already there. Nevertheless, since the story was strong, we were confident.
I was very particular about everything during the shooting…” I wouldn’t provide all the facilities requested. If a scene required 10 chairs, I would only provide five. This is how I reduced unnecessary expenses and saved money. In this film industry, there’s a trend of commissions for everything. This is very wrong. I was shocked when I saw this. Commissions in the film industry must be eliminated.
The music composer and the editor are crucial for a film; it is these two who can make a film successful. The editor doesn’t get as much recognition as the music composer. The editor doesn’t receive the same attention as the music composer. When I was acting, I didn’t perform very well for the first two days. I myself had doubts. There were some weak points in the film. However, editor Lawrence Kishore edited everything so well that these flaws are not noticeable. My thanks to him.
We didn’t expect the Pepsi issue to arise right at the beginning of the film. We kept receiving phone calls. On the sixth day, they said they would stop the film. They said they would stop the shooting. I was shocked. We are investing our own money to make the film. Why should they stop it? So I stopped it myself. The shooting stopped on the sixth day. Many people must have wondered if this film would ever be completed.
Like this, from the story discussions in 2023 to the release date in 2026, there were always some obstacles and conflicts. Nevertheless, the director and others worked together to complete this film.
Does a producer’s entire expenditure in a film show up in the expense accounts? No. If they spend 5 crores on a film, ten to fifteen percent of the expenditure doesn’t appear in the accounts; it goes as commission. I changed four units for four schedules. Initially, they asked for one lakh, then 90 thousand, then 80 thousand, then 70 thousand – it kept changing. How does so much commission get taken in between? Isn’t receiving a salary enough? Why do they take commissions? The commission system in the film industry must be eliminated.
Shankar sir, regarding bribery…
Just like a film was made to eradicate that problem, a film should be made to eradicate this problem as well. This commission system is very common in the film industry. When I come to make a film with my hard-earned money, some middlemen try to take advantage of it. I need an account for the money I earned. I will not let this go. Another experience: When I approached a character actor, he demanded a huge salary. That’s his wish, it’s fine. But he asked for twenty rupees per kilometer as travel allowance. I was shocked. Why should I pay that? Similarly, the salaries of assistants should also be abolished. If such conditions are imposed, no one will come. But I don’t care about that.
We have worked honestly on this film. We didn’t think of just somehow finishing the film. That’s why Dream Warrior Pictures trusted us, encouraged us, and are releasing this film.
Speaking at the event, the film’s lead actress Ashmin said,
“The experience of working on this ‘Red Label’ film is unforgettable. I gained new relationships through this film. I have come here from a different profession. However, the reason I came into this film is because of the producer Lenin and the director Vinoth. The director has shaped my character very well in the film. I was very happy that music director Kailash Menon joined this film. It’s a big deal that w BUe got introduced through this film. They took care of me like a family. Thank you to everyone,” she said.
Speaking at the event, the film’s writer Pon. Parthiban said,
“When we started making this film, we first decided what we didn’t want and avoided everything that needed to be avoided. But we ensured that the core idea, the spark of the story, remained unchanged. This film, which began as a story discussion in 2023, is being refined every day until 2026. The story begins from the very first scene. This screenplay has been created in such a way that every scene is connected like a chain,” he said. Lyricist Mohan Rajan speaking,
“The producer of this film is someone who treats me with great familiarity.
Once, when I needed money, I hesitated to ask him. I received it only the following week, belatedly. When the producer spoke to me then, he asked if I was happy. I said it would have been better if I had received it a week earlier. He asked, ‘Why didn’t you ask? Why the hesitation?’ That’s how close and familiar he is. The songs in this film have turned out very well,” he said.
Art Director Pragatheeswaran speaking,
“There’s no such thing as a small film or a big film in the film industry. All films are the same. Whichever film is a hit, that’s the big film. Nobody can predict which film will be a hit. I was given a salary for this film. I can’t disclose the amount. But I didn’t come here for the money. I came here because of my love for cinema. Money will come as I grow,” he said.
Music composer Kailash Menon speaking,
“This is my first film in Tamil. But when I first came here, I had some hesitation. But the producer and director took good care of me. So this journey was comfortable. In a way, it was much more comfortable and easier for me here than working on Malayalam films. Here, they give good respect to the technical crew. That made me happy. This director and producer are people who love cinema. I’m happy that this film, which has been in the making for three years, is now going to be released,” he said.
Director K.R. Vinoth speaking,
“We are a growing film team. We have made this film with emerging actors. I think everyone will like it. I believe this film will certainly not disappoint anyone,” he said. Speaking at the event, director Anumohan, who has acted in the film, said:
“Back then, a certain process was followed in cinema. First, they would select the story with the help of a story writer. Then they would choose a screenwriter and a dialogue writer. The producer and these writers would then together select the director. After that, they would jointly choose the lead actor and other cast members for that story. This film has been made following that very process. Nowadays, it is the lead actors who decide the story and the scenes of the film. They even decide what the shots should be. They interfere in everything and are self-serving. Please let go of your selfishness.
In this film, there is a line in a song that mentions ‘Rathinapuri’. That is our hometown. Many film personalities have roamed around in that Rathinapuri. Sathyaraj, Sundar C, producer KRG, K. Gopinath – all of them have been there.
When you pay 120 rupees for a movie ticket, that money supports 120 families. I have acted in a role in this film. After this film, my name itself will change,” he said.vu
On behalf of Dream Warrior Pictures, who are distributing and releasing the film. While Kugan was speaking,
Regarding how audiences come to a film, firstly, films starring heroes with a large fan base attract a huge crowd. That’s unavoidable. But other films also succeed. Films like ‘Sirai’ and ‘Madras Matinee’ were successful in that way. The audience today consists mostly of people aged 15 to 32. Films that meet their expectations and pique their interest are the ones that succeed. Only later do others come to watch based on word-of-mouth.
The top 10 heroes have their fan base. But even beyond that, films with strong stories do succeed. So, hold on firmly to the importance of the story. Next, songs are important. Re-released films are talked about because of their songs. Therefore, songs have a place.
If there are 8 crore people today, 10% of them, which is 80 lakh people, should come to watch a film. But for these new films, only two to five lakh people are likely to come. That’s only one percent. In such a scenario, films with good stories succeed. When we think about the future of cinema, we have to consider not only the movie ticket price but also other expenses. Coffee that costs 30 rupees outside is sold for 150 rupees inside.
A puff pastry that costs 20 rupees outside is 120 rupees inside. Popcorn is sold for up to 700 rupees. This puts a lot of pressure on the moviegoers. Therefore, they look to see if the film is worth the money they are spending. So, the story is crucial for a film. I congratulate this film crew,” he said.
