Kochi, Aug 10 - In the age of twittering, BlackBerrys and 24x7 connectivity, two influential Kerala film industry groups -- Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) and the Producers Association -- Monday decided to ban the use of mobile phones during film shoots.

'Barring production executives and the producer, no one can use a mobile during the time of film shooting. There is no problem in using it during shooting breaks,' FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan told reporters. He said the use of mobile phones had become a menace during the shooting.

The decision came after a meeting between the two associations here to discuss means to reduce the cost of film production in face of dwindling profit margins.

'The recommendations that were discussed included limiting the shooting period to a maximum of 45 days per film and an upper limit to the quantity of film roll that can be used,' Unnikrishnan said.