Bollywood's leading men unite in box office dispute

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   Bollywood's two leading actors Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan on Tuesday called for an overhaul in the distribution of box office takings to end a stand-off between producers and multiplex owners.
   
   Both men, rivals who have been locked in a personal battle for cinematic supremacy in recent years, said owners of the big cinema chains should share film revenues equally, in line with other countries.
   
   Leading figures in India's Hindi-language film industry last week began a boycott of multiplexes, refusing to release new movies as they consider their cut to be too small.
   
   Multiplex owners, though, insist they will only agree to an even split if a film does well and have urged producers to improve the quality of their films. At present, the balance is tipped in their favour as much as 60:40.
   
   "Everyone has a right to earn money," said Aamir Khan, whose film "Ghajini" recently became Bollywood's highest-grossing movie of all time. "Common sense tells me that we need to have a partnership of equals.
   
   "A 50:50 partnership is fair. Multiplexes have to figure out how to make their own industry profitable," the 44-year-old told a Mumbai news conference, flanked by top producers.
   
   In a rare show of unity, Shahrukh Khan agreed, insisting that "we need to repair the pipeline" and calling for "fair rights for Friday nights," a reference to when new movies are released in India.
   
   The 43-year-old, whose 2006 hit "Om Shanti Om" was the previous top Bollywood grosser, said they were not giving an ultimatum to multiplexes.
   
   "We're not saying it's our way or the highway... This is a husband and wife relationship where there is no scope for divorce," he added.
   
   Industry figures have said the strike could not have come at a worse time for Bollywood, which is feeling the effects of the global economic slowdown and dwindling audiences.
   
   The 2.1-billion-dollar industry has had a dire 2009 first quarter and is in desperate need of a hit movie. But a number of new releases have already been put on hold.
   
   Cinemas could see more empty seats when the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament starts next month in South Africa.

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