Kannada film industry groping in the dark

By K. N. Venkatasubba Rao

BANGALORE, OCT. 7. Following the stopping of its activities for over two months after the kidnapping of the thespian, Mr. Rajkumar, the Kannada film industry is now groping in the dark to regain its lost momentum and make good the ``phenomenal loss''. According to an estimate, it has lost over Rs. 250 crores in terms of turnover, excluding the Government's revenue. The cascading effect is yet to be assessed.

The industry has realised the ``suicidal'' consequences of its decisions. Big producers are forced to face the music, while small filmmakers' financial plight is beyond comprehension. The former MP, Mr. H. D. Kumaraswamy, had reportedly stated that the move to call the bandh was the ``decision'' of a handful of filmmakers. He also stated that ``it is wrong to presume that he is not under financial pressure being the son of a former Prime Minister''. Although the Joint action Committee of the industry had revoked the film industry bandh in a phased manner, normality is yet to be restored. Despite being the festival season, public response to new Kannada and other releases, barring Hindi and English, is disappointing, according to a section of exhibitors. Film buffs are not convinced of their safety at cinemas as rumour mills are still active. Besides, Mr. Nagappa's ``escape theory'' has further frightened audience as his credentials as an assistant film director and his ``adventure'' is not ``devoid of fictional and mysterious elements''. This is said to be the reason for the dull collections at cinemas.

The prolonged film industry bandh helped non-Kannada television channels. A ``stubborn'' section of the film industry was responsible for this. Now, ``it is a Himalayan task particularly for Kannada filmmakers and marketers to win back all their audience''. Things would have come under control had the Joint Action Committee realised the situation even when the kidnapping was becoming a legal issue. A section of producers, technicians and artistes, including Mr. Ambarish, MP, and Mr. Kumaraswamy, made vain efforts to explain about the grim situation that would arise if the bandh continued.

This had exposed not only the rift in the film industry but also created apprehensions about the intentions of some individuals, sources said.

A section of people in the industry claims that normality is slowly being restored. But it is only a deceptive talk. A number of artistes and others are not willing to work till Mr. Rajkumar comes back safely from the forests.

A number of investors has been maintaining strict silence and stopped financing any new ventures.

They are just waiting for Mr. Rajkumar to return as a majority of them are non-Kannadigas. On the production front, several scripts have been undergoing modifications reportedly at the behest of some artistes who felt that there was a need to refurbish their shattered images fearing that audience would reject their earlier tinsel images, sources explained.

However, Mr. B. C. Patil, a police officer-cum-film personality, has launched his pending project, Lankesha. Following this, the Aniketana Chitra which filmed Kuvempu's Kanuru Heggadathi launched its next project, Matadana, based on Dr. S. L. Byrappa's novel on Friday. Asked about these positive developments, sources said that Mr. Patil and the producers of Matadana had their own method and sources of finance.

But a large section of Kannada film producers depended on the established network of financiers.

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