With a change in the dynamics of movie making, experimental cinema is now seeing commercial success at the box office
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Sathish Ninasam and Sruthi Hariharan portrayed powerful roles in Lucia
They always ran parallel – the films that are made with commercial purposes and packed with entertainment, and those that are experimental and laden with some meaning. However, with a change in the dynamics of movie making and with more young directors daring to take a different path, experimental ventures are starting to get their taster of success at the box office too. After Lucia, Jatta, Ulidavaru Kandanthe, Mythri and few more, including the latest sensation Rangitaranga, not only are audiences impressed but the a widespread change seems to have taken place when it comes to financial returns from ‘non commercial’ films.
Anup Bhandari, director of Rangitaranga, who is already planning his next venture with the same approach which has earned him box office success and immense critical appreciation says, “The trend started few years ago and many different kinds of movies were being made. But with the recent commercial success of such films, it has changed the dynamics of the industry, following which many more such movies are being made, and many are in the pipeline as the audience are now ready for such movies.”
The director faced initial hiccups with the release of his movie which also clashed with a release as big as Baahubali. He shares that he came across several film enthusiasts who openly expressed that they had stopped watching Kannada movies, especially those releasing in multiplex theatres. Bhandari admits, “Our film gained through no one other than the audience and their critical appreciation on social media.”
Another Sandalwood director welcomes the change while arguing that for an industry to survive, it needs to support all kinds of films. “Recently Mr & Mrs Ramachari ran to a packed house for more than 100 days. Such a statistic helps expand the industry. At the same time, movies like Mythri, starring Puneeth Rajkumar in a unique role talking, are doing good business in addition to gaining critical appreciation.”
Films like Lucia have changed the way movies can be made down South, as it was brought to the screen through crowd funding which has its own merits and demerits. On the other hand, there are directors like BM Giriraj who make movies simply for the love of it and with the sole intention of delivering a good watch.
“The subject will always be my hero, though I am not against the screening of big star cast films which cater to a particular audience. I honestly feel that a good technical team can result in a good film,” adds Anup. A majority of directors are united in the feeling that at the end of the day, not all producers are willing to take a risk by investing huge amounts of money on new directors and experimental movies.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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