REFRESHING: Kannada actor Ganesh in a scene from Mungarumale.

BANGALORE: After serving up borrowed and clichéd cinema over the last decade and having incurred huge losses along the way, the 74-year-old Kannada cinema industry is now showing some signs of resurgence. This is thanks to the advent of a new band of technicians and artistes who are successfully exploring new creative avenues and commercial possibilities.

Precariously poised

Till just about a year ago, the Kannada industry had been precariously poised, with many star-studded and high-cost films based on Telugu and Tamil hits failing to recover even one-fourth of their investments. Even original works, such as the ambitious Gandugali Kumara Rama, a historical film based on a Kannada novel, crashed at the box office. The cost of the film was Rs. 5 crore. The situation was causing anxiety for producers, directors and even the super stars.

A couple of small-budget films with fresh themes and the surfacing of fresh acting talent in Prem of "Nenapirali", Prajwal Devraj of "Sixer" and Ganesh of "Mungarumale", for example, are hopeful signs of change. The work of new directors such as Yogaraj Bhat (Mungarumale) and Soori of "Duniya", which has received an overwhelming response from audiences, has changed the scenario.

Encouraged by the emerging trend, seasoned producers have begun looking for original themes and new faces instead of spending lavishly to refurbish the beaten images of established heroes. This has become the order of day in Gandhinagar, the Mecca of Kannada cinema.

The launch of five new films within a span of six days shows the level of confidence the industry has gained in recent days.

Of the five films launched last week, four, namely "Manasugala Maatu Madhura", "O Nanna Chetana", "Thyagu" and "Psycho", have been launched by new directors. The publicity they have been enjoying in the media and industry circles is on a par with what veteran producer-director S.V. Rajendra Singh's "Bhimoo's Bang Bang Kids" has been getting. This speaks volumes about the fast changing composition of Kannada cinema.

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