Madras High Court. File | Image source: K. Pichumani
The Tamil Film Producers Committee (TFPC) has filed a civil lawsuit in the Madras High Court, accusing the South India Federation of Film Employees (FEFSI) of causing huge monetary losses by creating obstacles in the ongoing production of filmmakers of the committee.
Justice K. Kumaresh Babu ordered a return to FEFSI and 23 associations by May 7 on Tuesday (April 29, 2025) and signed a subsidiary notice seeking their response to the restrictions on their compliance with the alleged non-litigation.
Krishna Ravindran, an advocate representing TFPC, told the court that the plaintiffs’ committee was registered in 1979 under the Tamil Nadu Society Incmistration Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act Act of The Firefration Councement, the main body established for the welfare of Tamil film producers.
Similarly, FEFSI is a union registered under the Trade Union Act of 1926, which includes 23 different film directors, photographers, writers, editors, makeup artists, makeup artists, lighting associations involving pre-production, production, filmmaking and post-production of films.
TFPC and FEFSI regularly sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on fixed wages and other worker-related issues. The last of the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by both parties on March 10, 2022, but is still in self-sufficiency.
However, in the recent past, FEFSI began working with another agency called the Tamil Film Active Productter Association (TFAPA) and on April 2, 2025, sent a correspondence with all 23 affiliated associations asking them not to work with TFPC members and to stop all film production work and to stop all film production work for them.
In communication, FEFSI also accused the TFPC of promoting a rival union called Tamil Nadu Thiraipada Thozhilalargal Sammelanam, warning that the latter could affect the livelihoods of 25,000 film workers. Therefore, it requires workers not to work for TFPC members.
Mr Ravindran, who denied any TFPC’s relationship with the new union, told the court that some technicians with FEFSI grouse started. He also accused FEFSI of using the new union as an excuse to stop its production work since April 8, 2025 and redeem TFPC members.
He urged the court to declare FEFSI April 2, 2025 invalid and blank, and issued instructions to FEFSI and its 23 affiliated associations to comply with the terms of the 2022 MOU. He also sought a temporary ban to limit the compliance of film employees in order to comply with the “illegal” appeal with TFPC members.
publishing – April 29, 2025 05:53 pm ist
