Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to launch a state-run OTT streaming platform for Tamil films, documentaries and independent cinema, during their first meeting after Vijay assumed office.
Kamal Haasan, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, film producer and chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam, submitted a detailed memorandum to the Chief Minister on Saturday outlining key demands for the Tamil film industry, with the proposed Tamil Nadu government OTT platform emerging as the centrepiece of his appeal.
In his letter, Kamal Haasan said the platform could make Tamil cinema accessible to audiences at “affordable and subsidised rates” while also creating a dedicated space for independent films and documentaries that often struggle to find commercial distribution. The proposal comes amid growing concerns within the industry over the dominance of private streaming giants and shrinking theatrical revenues.
My two requests: https://t.co/rP4bIo4Hzi pic.twitter.com/u6ywdmd5S1
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 16, 2026
“Our Tamil cinema industry has great hopes from your leadership and governance,” Kamal Haasan wrote in the letter addressed to the Chief Minister. Calling Tamil audiences “the greatest and most loyal fans in the world”, he sought government intervention to support an industry facing multiple financial and structural challenges.
Sharing details of the meeting on X, Kamal Haasan said he personally congratulated Vijay and that the Chief Minister enthusiastically shared “many dreams” for the development of Tamil Nadu. “The warmth, affection and humility he showed during the meeting was moving,” he wrote in Tamil.
The meeting also carried political significance in Tamil Nadu’s long history of cinema and politics intersecting. While the state had earlier seen film icons such as M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa successfully transition from cinema to the Chief Minister’s office, Vijay has now emerged victorious in his very first electoral attempt.
Several other major film personalities, including Sivaji Ganesan, Vijayakanth and Kamal Haasan himself, could not achieve the same political success, while superstar Rajinikanth ultimately chose not to enter electoral politics despite years of speculation.
The actor-politician also pressed for several other measures to revive the cinema sector. These include abolishing the 4 per cent local body entertainment tax, forming a dedicated anti-piracy enforcement wing within the Tamil Nadu Police Cyber Crime Department, and permitting theatres to run five shows a day.
Kamal Haasan further requested an eight-week mandatory gap between theatrical and OTT releases to protect theatre owners and distributors. He also proposed a production incentive scheme offering subsidies of up to 10 per cent for films that complete over half their shooting schedule in Tamil Nadu.
“Cinema is part of the cultural identity of our state and a source of livelihood for lakhs of families,” Kamal Haasan said, expressing hope that the new government would extend strong support to the Tamil film industry.
