A market for pirated films

BASURI DESAI
basuri@herald-goa.com
The first floor of the Panjim Municipal Market offers a variety of CDs, DVDs of films in various languages. But, none are original, all are pirated versions. Anybody wanting to watch a movie, even before it is released in the theaters, would possibly find a copy in the Panjim market.
A shopkeeper was frank enough to tell Herald that there is a huge demand for movies even before they are released. “Immediately after the announcement of the release date by the film producer, people come here to know when the print will be available,” a shopkeeper told Herald.
Recent films like the Salman Khan starrer ‘Sultan’ and Shahid Kapoor starrer ‘Udta Punjab’ were leaked before they could be released in the theaters, prompting the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) to stop accepting DVD prints from producers seeking film certification.
But it is not just the thrill of watching a film before it is released that draws people to the market’s first floor. The cost factor is also a big draw.
Few people actually hire CDs from the video galleries as pirated CDs are now available at throw away prices. The over 25 shops in Panjim market dealing in this trade sell the CDs or DVDs for as low as Rs 30 to Rs 40 each.
Not only is there a sale of pirated CDs but some even copy a movie on a customer’s pen drive for the Rs 40. With hardly any difference in the quality between the original and the duplicate people have no qualms buying the CDs, a shopkeeper told Herald.
In the past Goa Police have seized hundreds of CDs worth of lakhs of rupees, but to act against the illegal trade police require a complaint from an authorized designated person from the company otherwise it is not possible for them to determine which films are pirated and which are original prints, Panjim Police Inspector Siddhant Shirodkar said.
He said it becomes easy for the police when an authorized person gives them information about the original print as then the police can book a case and arrest those responsible.
“Whenever we get a complaint from the authorized designated person of any company or firm claiming duplication of CDs or any product we book an offence and investigate accordingly,” PI Shirodkar said.
In the entire trade of pirated CDs and print three Acts including Trade and Mercantile Act, Copyright Act and Cyber Crime Act comes into force to act against those involved in the illegal trade.
Film experts say the illegal business has approximately a Rs 100 crore turnover per film which is unaccounted for.