The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Many a filmy twist and turn

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 28, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Many a filmy twist and turn

K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

230 films were launched and 92 released this year

— Photos: G.P. Sampath Kumar

SUCCESS STORY: Actors Ganesh and Pooja Gandhi of Mungaru Male fame.

BANGALORE: It has been a year of many filmy twists and turns for the Kannada film industry this year. It has seen new trends, new faces, original themes, record number of new launches, investments by realtors, escalating production costs and heavy turnovers, besides unsavoury individual controversies and production disputes.

To add an extra dash of masala, the year also saw allegations of bungling in the selection of annual awards and the failure of the Government to evolve a comprehensive film policy.

Beginning with “Sixer”, which launched Prajwal Devaraj into stardom, to Prem’s “Preethi Yeke Bhumi Melide”, slated for release this Friday, 230 films were launched and 92 films released in 2007. The overall turnover of the industry is estimated, as on date, at over Rs. 320 crore. Of it, four films starring Ganesh, “Mungaru Male”, “Hudugata”, “Cheluvina Chittara” and “Krishna”, raked in over Rs. 100 crore.

“Mungaru Male” opened the floodgates for young talents in all the departments of filmmaking. The film, a romantic tragi-comedy, ran for over 100 days at many centres and is still running to packed houses at many centres across the State. To the disbelief of seasoned formula filmmakers, young directors such as Yogaraj Bhat of “Mungaru Male” and Suri of “Duniya” have altered the course of Kannada filmmaking. Their films have expanded the limited market and lured a generation of audience cutting across linguistic barriers. “Duniya”, released in February 2007, also brought small-time artiste Vijay into the centre-stage of Kannada cinema. It was no coincidence that all the four films of Ganesh and two films, “Duniya” and “Chanda”, of Vijay did well at the box office, considering the academic and professional rigour directors Mr. Bhat and Mr. Suri brought into the films. The contributions of lyricist Jayanth Kaikini and music director Mono Murthy was no less.

Many films, barring Puneet Rajkumar’s “Milana” and “Arasu” and Shivrajkumar’s “Thayi”, “Thangi” and “Tavaru” series, which attempted to ape the form and content of “Mungaru Male” and “Duniya”, have failed to reach the audience for obvious reasons. Several films, which advocated violence, went unnoticed despite their star cast. Remake films too contributed to the number of films, but [they] failed to make an impact.

Films such as T.N. Sitaram’s “Meera Madhava Raghava” and Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar’s “Mathaad Mathaad Mallige” were expected to give a new idiom to Kannada cinema. However, plot complexities and intellectualism proved fatal to their commercial interests. Girish Kasaravalli’s “Naayi Neralu” could not evoke much response either.

The industry stopped its activities for a brief period owing to the complaints by the Kannada Chalanachitra Kaarmikara, Kalavidara, and Tantrajnara Okkuta against the “oppressive” attitude of some producers, who were reportedly in favour of remake and dubbed Kannada cinemas from other languages.

The controversy between the seasoned director S. Narayan and artiste Vijay over completing “Chanda” was seen more as a case of personal clash.

However, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, which intervened, drew a blank as Mr. Narayan refused to allow Vijay to honour his “commitment” by releasing the film without Vijay’s voiceover.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka