I’ve talked about this before and probably will talk about this again. The state of the Kannada film industry.
The 7 week moratorium on non-kannada films was initially reduced to 3 weeks after a compromise between the theater owners and the kannada film people. A few of the theaters refused to co-operate and the recent screening of Veer Zara has again brought this issue to the forefront. A movement that now has the public support of Dr. Rajkumar. The first son of Kannada cinema. Along with his support comes the muscle power of the Rajkumar fan club, politicians who want to capitalize on the vote bank that is the fan club, Sa Ra Govindu his brother in law and also chief instigator of this whole moratorium business and a bevy of kannada film stars who now have the balls to display a more concrete stand on the issue.
Initially, the reasoning behind this was that since nobody was actually watching Kannada films, if the people were simply given fewer choices, then they would rush to the theaters to watch Kannada films. Simply because they have no other choice. Somebody must have pointed out the sheer ludicrousness of this point of view. In recent times, the association of film stars, producers and a few general no goods like the above mentioned Sa Ra Govindu have changed their strategy. The association is now bemoaning the imminent demise of the Kannada language and fighting to preserve the same. How do they do this ? By imposing the 7 week moratorium on all non-kannada films. Look at the state of our own films first you fucking idiots! The abysmal standard of kannada used in the films, the themes of these films, the English-hindi-kannada-tamil-telugu cocktail of the lyrics, the complete lack of any coherent story telling, is what is killing off the Kannada language and the Kannada film industry. Fools! Look at yourself.
Ravichandran one of the Kannada filmmakers/superstars to throw his hat into the fray in support of the moratorium has not had a single original thought since his magnum opus Shaanthi Kraanthi bombed at the box office a good 15 years ago. Upendra, one of the younger stars, managed to instill some life in the industry with Om, A, Shhhh…. and Upendra and then promptly acted in a bunch of Kannada films that were copies of blockbuster Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. Shivraj Kumar, son of Dr. Rajkumar and another Kannada superstar can barely string together 3 sentences in Kannada.
Imposing a moratorium on non-Kannada films will achieve 2 things: an increase in movie piracy and the possible shutting down of more than half the theaters in Bangalore.
The state government for its part is dilly dallying on the issue and with the good doctor’s official entry into the fray, the government is batting on a very sticky wicket. How powerful is Dr. Rajkumar ? In Karnataka, he’s almost God. The state government also stands to loose about 15 Lakh rupees in entertainment tax for every deferred release. 1200 theaters in the state of which 400 screen kannada films. Can the industry supply prints to the other theaters ? No. What are these theaters supposed to do then ? Sell the land and make way for complexes, malls and multi-level car parks in Bangalore at least. The theater owners in the interior can fuck off and die I guess.
Most Kannada films suck ass. The last Kannada film I saw in the theater paying a ticket was Dr. Rajkumar’s comeback vehicle “Shabdawedi.” That was a good 2 years ago if not more. Unless the Kannada film makers do something about their product, people will continue to flock the theaters to watch Veer Zara or the latest Kamal Hassan or Chiranjeevi movie.
The Kannada film industry is dying of a cancerous tumor. The self appointed doctors are way to busy trying to eliminate the effects of the tumor rather than excising the tumor itself.
Look at yourself. Hopefully before its too late.
3 comments:
Terrific piece there. If the SS didn't own a lot of the ass and pussy in Bollywood, it would probably have started a similar thing for Marathi films, which apparently totally unregulated and uncensored are almost invariably very mindfucking. Like one in which these thugs smash into a woman's house during this pregnancy-related function and kick her till she aborts. Bizarre shit. - Ravi
Second that. Though this is wishful thinking, of which I'm king, you my friend, need to displace the P3Ps in you know what, with this peice. If that ever happens, needless to say, don't forget to carry your anonymity along with your reefers.
:)
on the sujet of this kannada film industry moratore, ud probably want to read Prakash Belawadi's piece in today's metro plus suppli of the hindu. He talks about the Gokak agitation of the 70s. as one of the better writers, i thought perhaps he was a bit incoherent. he's a great speaker too - gave a gripping talk today on Indian theatre.
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