Quality Sandalwood films getting lost in stampede for release slots: Rishab Shetty
Bengaluru: While the Kannada film industry is producing a record number of movies, quality films are getting lost in the stampede to find a profitable release slot. If more than seven movies are released in one week, it would be difficult for the audience to choose among them.
Actor, director and producer Rishab Shetty, who has been giving back-to-back hit movies in last five years in Sandalwood, says 240 films were released last year. That’s too high a number for the Kannada film industry accommodate.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on the sidelines of the 12th edition of the Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFes), Shetty said that in the race to release movies, quality movies are getting lost.
Explaining why some Kannada films fail at the box office, Rishab Shetty said, "The content of a movie should hold the audience, so that it can pull crowds into the theaters. A few years ago, it used to be the practice for other language movies to be remade in Kannada. Audiences still think that Sandalwood films are not original. They made up their mind that Kannada films are nothing but remakes. This led to a situation where even good movies were failing at the box office."
These mistakes of the past are slowly being rectified. People are at last giving their support to quality Kannada films. Kannada audiences should be presented more movies that reflect their culture, he said.
Asked why there were few movies with a political theme, Rishab Shetty said no one was willing to take the risk of get stuck in a controversy. “We have seen many movies on politics launched but unable to find a release in theaters.'
"Legal notices are served just a day before the release of the movie. Having spent a fair amount of time and money in making a political movie, film makers do not want to risk it being stopped at the last minute," he said.
However, Rishab Shetty said even he wished to make a movie on politics be based on real-life issues. “It will happen in the coming years,'' he added.
OTT platform
Answering a question on the threat posed by over the top (OTT) media services, where people can watch movies on the internet bypassing cable, broadcast and satellite television, Rishab Shetty said, "There was no television in the early days of cinema. When TVs came to each and every household, people started saying theaters will vanish. They said people would watch those neverending serials and movies on TV and that there will be no need for people to come to theatres.
“Is that so? If all people are watching movies on their TV sets, then how are cinemas running in the theatres? The OTT platform will be used by urban audiences.”
Rishab Shetty said no matter which platform comes into being, people will surely be attracted to good movies in the theaters.
