PANAJI : Regional cinema is in dire straits in the country. Across the language barrier, regional films are struggling to find an audience. Cinemas playing regional films are facing closure.

Even Oscar-entered films like `Waaris Shah — Ishq Da Waaris' or the National Award winner Kavita Lankesh's name are no guarantee for a regional film being released. Or, later finding a willing audience. That has been the complaint of most filmmakers in Indian language cinema at the ongoing 37th International Film Festival of India.

Films from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam and Karnataka have been particularly hit by the onslaught of Hindi cinema and the great popularity of Tamil and Telugu stars. Veteran film personality Chitra Palekar, who made her directorial debut with the Marathi film, `Maati Maay,' being shown at the festival, laments: ``I went looking for finances for long. I then produced the film, but nobody came forward to market it or release it.'' Elaborating, Ms. Palekar says: ``The centre of Marathi films is Mumbai and the centre of Hindi films is Mumbai. So there is difficulty in getting the halls, there is difficulty in getting viewers.

In recent times, more than 30 per cent of the halls across Maharashtra have either closed down or switched to playing Hindi films exclusively. Admits Manmohan Shetty, Chairman of the National Film Development Corporation: ``In recent times, only Vijay Kondke's film has netted a good profit. The scene is not bright for Gujarati or Rajasthani cinema either.''

It is the same story in Rajasthan, which, according to an official, used to make about 20 films annually, and Gujarat, where too Hindi films have eaten into the local market.

Kannada film producer, L. Suresh admits: ``Kannada cinema is facing tough times.'' Director Ms. Lankesh says that ``Kannada films are more oriented towards violence. That is keeping the family audiences away. And some of them are too poor in quality to compete with the films churned out in Bollywood or even Chennai or Hyderabad.''

Malayalam director T.V. Chandran, who has made films like `Aadum Koothu,' says that ``regional cinema across the country is neglected. The attitude overall is parochial. My films are as Indian as those of other languages. You can find Hindi films running in Kerala, but how often do you find a Malayalam film being screened elsewhere?''

Punjabi producer Manjit Mann whose film `Waaris Shah' has just been entered for the Oscar's, agrees that ``there is a need to address films on their merit. In Punjab too, some people used to consider it below their dignity to watch a Punjabi film. Hindi films have been popular for a long time. The mention of a Punjabi film makes people think it must be some seedy action film.'' Assam film producer Ranajit Chakravorty, whose film `Kadamtole Krishna Nache' has also been shown at the ongoing festival, moans: ``More of the cinema halls have been forcibly closed down by militants. Many have closed down because of dwindling business.''

The local Goanese cinema in Konkona is no better, with only one film in the language making it to the IFFI.

Besides Tamil and Telugu films, there is only one ray of hope for regional films across the country. Bhojpuri cinema is growing by the day. With the best of Hindi film stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini and Ajay Devgan doing Bhojpuri films, it is sunshine time for the industry.

The proof came on IFFI's inaugural day when the most popular Bhojpuri hero Manoj Tewari's appearance was added to the theme song of the festival, `Bharat ki cinema ki hai jaijaikaar.'

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