Madras HC appoints former judge as mediator in film producers, technicians dispute

Chennai, July 2 (IANS) In an effort to resolve the ongoing standoff between the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) and the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), the Madras High Court on Wednesday appointed former judge Justice M. Govindaraj as a mediator.

The decision was made by a bench of Justice K. Kumaresh Babu, who directed the mediator to initiate dialogue with both parties and submit a report to the court at the earliest.

The dispute has led to the suspension of several film productions, causing significant financial losses to producers.

Advocate Krishna Ravindran, appearing for the TFPC, informed the court that the producers were incurring huge losses due to the technicians’ non-cooperation, following a directive issued by the FEFSI on April 2.

This directive had instructed all 22 associations affiliated with the federation to halt collaboration with TFPC members, effectively bringing numerous film shoots to a standstill.

The TFPC has filed a civil suit seeking to declare the FEFSI’s communication as null and void. It also requested an interim injunction restraining FEFSI members from adhering to what it termed an "illegal" call for non-cooperation.

Ravindran suggested that the court consider appointing an additional retired judge as a second mediator, should the FEFSI be willing to share the costs.

However, advocate G. Mohanakrishnan, representing the FEFSI, opposed the idea, stating that his client could not afford to bear the cost of mediation. He argued that the producers, being financially better off, should shoulder the entire expense.

He also strongly objected to the TFPC's request for an interim order directing the FEFSI members to cooperate during the mediation process, stating that such an order could be misused by the producers to their advantage.

Justice Kumaresh Babu noted the concerns and urged both parties to participate in the mediation process in good faith to arrive at an amicable solution. The court did not pass any interim orders and adjourned the case, asking the mediator to file a status report soon.

--IANS

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