The menace of film posters

A common sight in all of Bengaluru is political and cinema posters stuck on walls, metro rail pillars, road dividers and on hoardings. There have been any number of protests to eliminate this poster menace, but no result has been forthcoming.

While the number of political banners is supposed to have come down, the posters haven’t, despite a ban on them and penalty on people financing the sticking of posters that deface public space.

MLA Muniratna, who is also a film producer, is one among several people financing the making, distributing and sticking of film posters around the City. Typically it is film producers who are responsible the poster menace. And this goes on despite a ban.

Muniratna told Deccan Herald: “Yes, there is a ban on sticking film posters on the walls and all public spaces. But no one in the Corporation or any official has blocked me and my team from making and sticking posters. I am doing it in the interest of Kannada language and filmdom. No one has come and asked me why I am doing this. As long as I am not blocked from doing so, the wall poster business will continue.”

According to insiders, investment in film posters is high and will continue to be high because they don’t expect to be stopped. A poster artist, who did not want to be named, said:

“Producers invest huge sums in poster making. And they want to support the Kannada film industry to have a say in it. So even if there is a ban, no authority will want to interfere because it is risky.” Muniratna too said the same thing: “I will keep investing as long as I am not troubled and I have not been troubled so far.”

A single Kannada film opens up 1,000 jobs ranging from the high to the low end. And in the poster-making business, the earnings vary depending on the size and number of posters one would want. There are oil posters, water colour posters and many more varieties. Cost varies according to the texture of poster sought. The posters are also put together part by part. A film producer can order for two, four or six sheets, and even 24 sheets - which is the biggest size.

This poster business itself runs into Rs 20 crore to 30 crore per year, according to a rough estimate by producers. More money means higher stakes in the business. The status now is that there is a ban, but the administration for fear of safety and confronting powerful people has been soft on its implementation.

The policy to impose penalties on film producers who are involved in this has not worked out. This can be testified by the fact that poster sticking continues relentlessly during nights in five zones of Bengaluru - East, West, North, South and Central.

Banners on the other hand also continue to show up in different parts of the City, despite the ban. But Sham of Murugan Arts, one of the well-known names in the banner and flex business, says sales of banners has dipped and revenue is down because of the ban. On being asked how banners were still seen all around the City, Sham says there are agencies which continue to work on banners because they bring in good money and that his outlet too had to do it for survival. 

He elaborates, “We do political banners for all parties. There is no distinction. The parties come to us voluntarily and we charge the same for all. I know legally there is a ban, because of which revenue per day has come down. If there is no ban, then it is easy to sell, but if there is one, you have to struggle to keep afloat. I would make Rs 1,000 a day before the ban, but now not much because it depends whether political parties want bulk orders or not. You can do some pieces here and there, but not the bulk kind because there are no such orders.”

The poster business offers opportunities to locals who take up sticking work during the night. What is clear is that there is a ban, but its enforcement is not strong.

Thomas D’Souza, Secretary of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, had told Deccan Herald: “The BBMP should not penalise us because sticking posters is one of the cheapest ways of advertising for films of smaller budgets.

I agree the rules are being violated but penalty can be avoided. The rates charged by BBMP for the hoardings are very high. Hence, many are forced to resort to such cheap advertising acts.

We request the BBMP to allow Kannada films to be advertised on hoardings free of cost, while films in other languages can be charged.” Cases are always booked under the Karnataka Open Place Disfigurement Act. The courts will take a decision on the violators and suitable penalty will be levied.