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The tension between Reliance Big Entertainment and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce is still on. The Association has banned release of films in properties belonging to Reliance Big in the territory. Lafangey Parindey, therefore, did not open in the Big multiplexes. Similarly, this week’s We Are Family has had to give the Big properties a miss. The war between Reliance Big and the KFCC started at the time of release of the former’s Kites and escalated four weeks later when its Raavan hit the screens. The KFCC does not permit non-Kannada films to open in more than 24 cinemas in the circuit. However, Reliance Big Pictures released ‘Kites’ as well as ‘Raavan’ and its Tamil version, Raavanan, in cinemas far more in number than the sanctioned amount. That’s how the differences between the corporate house and the Association arose. And they continue to this day, with the Association not permitting distributors to release films in Big properties.
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This, in spite of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) having then restrained the KFCC from taking action against any exhibitor releasing Reliance Big Pictures’ ‘Raavan’ and ‘Raavanan’ in Karnataka. The CCI had ordered that the KFCC had no right to take any action, direct or indirect, to prevent any exhibitor from exhibiting ‘Raavan’ or ‘Raavanan’ if the exhibitor was willing and desirous of screening the films.
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– By Komal Nahta
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