The
outbreak
of
the
COVID-19
pandemic
and
the
lockdown
situation
has
taken
a
big
toll
on
the
entertainment
industry.
Sandalwood
director
Indrajit
Lankesh
has
opened
up
about
how
badly
the
ongoing
crisis
has
affected
the
Kannada
film
industry.
In
a
recent
interview
with
TOI,
the
filmmaker
shared
that
it
will
take
a
few
years
time
to
overcome
the
insurmountable
losses
that
have
piled
up
due
to
the
COVID-19
crisis.
Indrajit
said,
"The
film
industry
has
taken
a
massive
hit
during
the
pandemic.
Filming
activity
requires
big
crews
and
exhibition
at
theatres
also
means
that
people
have
to
congregate
in
large
numbers.
In
that
sense,
most
stages
of
the
movie
business
are
against
pandemic
protocol
and,
hence,
everything
has
been
paused.
While
digital
platforms
have
come
to
the
fore
like
never
before,
they
are
not
conducive
for
big-budget
films.”
He
went
on
to
add,
“A
direct
OTT
release
will
not
bring
in
the
returns
to
cover
the
costs
of
such
films.
I
do
not
deny
the
fact
that
cinema
halls
were
a
catalyst
in
increasing
the
spread
of
the
pandemic.
So,
it
will
be
a
long
time
before
cinema
halls
reopen
for
business
again.
There
is
no
point
in
starting
new
films
now,
as
at
least
80
are
ready
and
waiting
to
be
released.
By
my
estimation,
it
will
take
the
film
industry
a
couple
of
years
to
bounce
back
from
this."
The
Shakeela
director
also
shed
light
on
the
rise
of
OTT
platforms
and
the
future
of
star-driven
vehicles
in
the
new
streaming
world.
Lankesh
is
of
the
opinion
that
big
stars
of
the
Kannada
film
industry
will
need
to
do
two
to
three
films
a
year
to
ensure
producers
make
up
for
the
losses.
He
cited
the
example
of
Pogaru,
Roberrt
and
Yuvarathnaa’s
success
and
noted
the
fact
that
people
went
to
see
these
films
in
cinema
halls.
Hence,
he
feels
that
big
stars
need
to
back
the
good
films
of
the
lower
rung
of
stars
and
promote
them
to
the
digital
platforms
and
create
demand.