Kochi: Kerala will witness a cinema strike from June 1. The decision was taken in a joint meeting of various film industry associations. The strike has been called to demand the withdrawal of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) alongside the existing entertainment tax, and to push for a reduction in the exorbitant remuneration of film stars.

The strike will bring all film-related activities across the state to a halt starting June 1. The decision was taken unanimously in the joint meeting of associations representing all sectors of the film industry.

The Film Producers' Association had earlier warned AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) that film production might come to a standstill if actors did not agree to reduce their fees. However, no further discussions were held on the matter. This announcement of a cinema strike comes at a time when the Malayalam film industry was beginning to recover from the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.