Multiplexes resume bookings for 'Jolly LLB'; here's what happened
What's the story
The release of Jolly LLB 3 faced a major hiccup when PVR Inox halted the advance booking of shows due to Virtual Print Fee (VPF) disagreements. The bookings were first stopped on Wednesday evening and resumed on Thursday morning without resolving the issue. However, the multiplex chain suspended bookings again on Thursday evening, just hours before the film's premiere.
Negotiation details
Negotiations involved Kumar and the Viacom18 team
An insider told Bollywood Hungama, "The team of the film immediately got into a negotiation mode." Even Akshay Kumar got involved. "Viacom18 had signed an agreement with PVR Inox that they'll pay VPF only until 2024." "Hence, they felt justified in asking for a waiver since Jolly LLB 3 is a 2025 release." PVR Inox argued that "since other producers continue to diligently pay VPF this year, they insisted that Viacom18 should also follow suit."
Payment agreement
'Jolly LLB 3' team agreed to pay VPF
The Jolly LLB 3 team eventually agreed to pay the VPF, fearing a major impact on the film's first-day collections due to bookings being halted. However, the producers made it clear that they are paying under protest and will continue discussions on this issue. A multiplex official confirmed that the issue was sorted around midnight and bookings have resumed for a smooth release across India.
VPF explained
What is Virtual Print Fee (VPF)?
VPF is a fee that major multiplex chains in India charge producers or distributors to help cover the cost of upgrading their technology. This fee averages around ₹20,000 per screen. Smaller cinema chains and non-2K theaters collect this fee through companies like UFO, Scrabble, Qube etc., which provide digital cinema services.
Ongoing battle
Producers have continued to argue against VPF imposition
The VPF dispute isn't new to the Hindi film industry. In 2019, producer Ronnie Screwvala had taken PVR, Inox, Cinepolis, and Carnival Cinemas to the Competition Commission of India over VPF. However, the CCI ruled in favor of the multiplexes. Despite this setback, producers have continued to argue that VPF shouldn't be charged indefinitely and was supposed to be imposed only for a certain time. Jolly LLB 3 is in theaters now.