Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) president, RK Selvamani, called the leak of Vijay’s unreleased final film Jana Nayagan a ‘systemic failure.’ Speaking to the press, he agreed with Kamal Haasan’s view, calling on the state and central governments to take strict action against the perpetrators. He also compared it to a bank heist, stating that if such a robbery were to take place at the Reserve Bank, the country would be up in arms.
FEFSI president talks about Jana Nayagan leak
Selvamani remarked that the leak of Jana Nayagan was a ‘big theft’ that affected the entire film industry. He rued that films are leaking even before their release now, whereas once they would at least be leaked days after release. He stated that the film industry now needs to reevaluate its operations.
“We checked with the editor about the edit print leak. They said copies were sent to Karnataka for dubbing and Hyderabad for audio mixing. We don’t know where it leaked from,” he told the press, adding, “It is terrifying that stolen property is being delivered straight to people’s homes without any fear or reaction.”
Compares it to ₹500 crore bank heist
Selvamani also commented that the leak of Jana Nayagan has cost producers ₹500 crore, the film’s supposed budget. “Now, if you steal ₹500 crore from the Reserve Bank, the whole country would be in uproar. But nobody knows about this theft, be it the people or the government. If a Hollywood movie leaks like this, people get arrested immediately. But when it happens to an Indian film, no one even questions,” he claimed.
The FEFSI president also put the onus on the government to help the film industry through this. “Another sad thing is that the things being stolen are sold through the internet, which is under the central government’s control. The state government must now track down the IP addresses, and the central government, which already has a law imposing 3 years’ imprisonment on the perpetrators and a fine equal to 5% of the total production cost, must follow through. 5% of ₹500 crore is nothing to the producer, but they must be punished,” he said.
A systemic failure
“The leak of #Jananayagan is not an accident – it is the result of systemic failure. Had due process been timely, we would not be here. Inordinate delays in certification created fertile ground for piracy. When legal access is stalled, illegitimate channels take over,” wrote Kamal Haasan on social media after the leak, and Selvamani agrees with him.
“This is exactly what Kamal Haasan sir meant in his tweet. This system is flawed,” he said, pointing out the delay in certification by the CBFC, adding, “This release should have been a festival for theatres. The money would have flowed from theatres to distributors, then to producers, and finally to the workers. That chain is now broken. This was the most-awaited film of the year. Seeing it leak like this is a shock and a massive loss.”
The Tamil Nadu cybercrime wing has arrested six individuals in connection with the unauthorised online leak on April 12, following the HD leak of Jana Nayagan on various platforms on April 9. An official told PTI that individuals have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, the Copyright Act, and the Cinematograph Act.
