Food For Thought! Changing Sandalwood; Will The Industry Be Reformed?

One swallow doesn't make a summer. Three or four good movies, critically or revenue-wise, releasing in a year is not an indicator of changing Kannada film industry.

Yes, Kirik Party, released at the end of 2016, ended up being one of the highest grossers in Kannada film history. But after Kirik Party, which was the most anticipated movie or movies?

Rajakumara, Hebbuli, and Chakravarthy were released in the first half of 2017. These movies were essentially star vehicles, where the sole purpose was to glorify the respective actor, and his family.

It isn't that these movies failed at the box office or weren't praised by the critics. It is just that people wouldn't have watched these movies in a theatre unless the trailers were compelling enough.

When Mungaru Male was released in 2006, many expected Kannada industry to grow and expand its market outside the traditional boundaries. Unfortunately, that never happened.

From then on, the director, Yograj Bhat, has never been able to charm the audience or the box office in his subsequent films. In 2013, the so-called "new wave" started with Pawan Kumar and his superlative, Lucia.

He demonstrated to the pundits of Gandhinagar that one doesn't need crores of money to narrate a story; rather, his self-belief in his craft resulted in a movie like Lucia.

Of course, after Lucia, there was Simple Aagi Ondh Love Story, Ulidavaru Kandante, Rangitaranga, Thithi, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, Kirik Party, and so on.

In the years when these movies were released, there were hardly 2-3 releases that could be compared with. My contention is, unless there are 20-30 movies that rely purely on good screenplay and direction are released, the industry is not going to change tracks.

In a recent interview, Rakshit Shetty stated that when he met well-known producers with the script of Kirik Party, most opined that the movie would not work. So, he took a gamble and started a production company Paramvah Studios and the rest is history.

If the first offering from Paramvah Studios is anything to go by, then the industry has a bright future. So, until then, it is too early to jump the shark and declare that Kannada film industry is changing. The best approach is to wait and watch!