In a surprise move, director R Parthiban was appointed the Vice President of the Tamil Film Producers’ Council (TFPC), the Council's President Vishal told the media on Monday. Vishal addressed the media after the Council convened for the first time on Monday after the lockdown protests last week which were led by a small faction of council members unhappy with the current President’s administration.
Vishal shared that the decision to appoint Parthiban was arrived at unanimously. Parthiban replaces director Gautham Vasudev Menon and actor Prakash Raj, who were both the Vice Presidents of the Council till Monday.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, TFPC President Vishal said that the council will proceed to take action against the members who had participated in the protest. Vishal also stated that the council is also planning on sending a legal notice to the non-members, including JK Ritheesh, who led the lockdown protest. Members of the Council will be sent show-cause notices requesting their response.
Welcoming the GST slab revision made for the entertainment industry, Vishal also shared that the Council plans to visit the Chief Minister to request for a further reduction in taxes and to invite him to Illaiyaraaja’s concert which is being planned to be held on February 2 and 3, 2019.
The date for the general body meeting will be decided upon in the next executive committee meeting, he added.
High drama had unfolded outside the Tamil Film Producer’s Council (TFPC) office in T Nagar on Thursday when its President Vishal was taken into preventive custody by Chennai police.
This after he tried to break open the lock of the office in T Nagar’s Yogambal Street. The actor had a long standoff with the police, who he claimed were standing watch over the Producers’ Council office that had been locked by people who were not members of TFPC.
Vishal became the president of the body in 2017, winning against producers Radha Krishnan and Kothanda Ramaiah. Previously, in 2015, he was elected the General Body Secretary of the Nadigar Sangam.