ACT 1978: A silver lining amid the pandemic for Kannada cinema

Two years ago, Nathicharami, a critically-acclaimed national award winning Kannada film typically ran in theatres in Karnataka for barely a week before it was pulled out. During the pandemic, the same exhibitors are clamouring to extend screen time for a new film with a hard-hitting message from the same director.

New-age director Mansore’s (Manjunatha Somashekhara Reddy) film, ACT-1978, released in theatres in Karnataka last month. It is now being hailed as a trendsetter in Kannada cinema, for bringing back the fastidious Kannada audience to the theatres.

Even in normal times, just 10% of the movie audience in Karnataka reportedly watch Kannada films. ACT-1978, a tense hostage drama, is however running to houseful shows in multiplexes on weekends and is picking up traction through word of mouth.

In a conversation, an excited Mansore shares, “The theatres are only too eager to keep my film in the theatres today because it is bringing in the audiences. It will probably have an extended run until January.”

Cinema halls in Karnataka opened on October 15 but none of the films, which were mostly re-runs received any footfall.

A nouveau noir Kannada thriller, Arishadvarga, by first-time director Arvind Kamath, which released last week is also attracting crowds.

“It is ironical that in normal circumstances multiplexes would have thrown us out in the first week.  We are flabbergasted by the love, but our films are finally getting enough time to breathe in theatres,” says the director Arvind Kamath, currently engaged in talks for remake and dubbing rights of Arishadvarga.

It is too early to say if audience tastes are changing after months of OTT viewing or whether people are venturing into cinema halls after a long spell of being closeted indoors, but good, small-budget independent Kannada cinema seems to be finally getting recognition.

Once hailed for its globally recognised arthouse films in the 70s, Kannada cinema has been creating an impact, of late, for bagging 12 national awards last year (the awards were mainly driven by Mansore’s Nathicharami), and for creating mega-star, adrenaline pumping movies like KGF-1.

Bogged down

Yet, the 85-plus-old industry, which has always been soft-pedalled by its southern cousins — the Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema — for various reasons, continues to be bogged down by a slew of inherent challenges.

To start with, Kannada filmmakers find themselves on the backfoot because a robust movie going culture (where stars are worshipped as demi-gods) just does not exist among Kannadigas. This becomes a challenge particularly for small budget, independent filmmakers to get people to come and see their films.

“Every new generation wants to express themselves in a contemporary way but even if you get to make the film, it is a battle to bring in the audience. Marketing and distribution dominate the market today and so small, interesting films can sink without a trace because the audience may not even know they exist. Or, they would rather watch a commercial movie with big stars,” says Pawan Kumar, whose game-changing film, Lucia opened the doors for the revival of good cinema in Karnataka in 2013. He is currently directing a sci-fi web series for the Hyderabad-based streaming platform, Aha.

The recent surge in mediocre Kannada films by directors, who have clearly not taken time to master their skills, have also given a bad name to the industry.

Kumar says it is not as if people want to make bad films. “The situation and conditions around them give them only that much support. But these films are causing a huge damage because they represent the industry and the audience loses faith.”

Last year, of the 205 Kannada films released in theatres, just six or seven films were a commercial success.

The problem lies with newbie Kannada filmmakers, who unlike their Tamil and Malayali counterparts, are unable to ‘think globally and act locally’.

“Take the case of a film like Kumbalangi Nights (Malayalam). It is set in a local fishing hamlet near Kochi but the film has an international feel and reach,” says Mansore, adding that Malayalam filmmakers watch and study a lot of foreign films.

“The regional element in Malayalam and Tamil films is strong even as their narration is global. That is the reason our Kannada mystery thrillers have no essence because you cannot connect with them or their stories,” he states.

One more reason holding back the Kannada film industry is the lack of unity, say filmmakers. Arvind Kamath is bitter over the silence of the industry about the success of Arishadvarga.

“My film is doing well in theatres and has got rave reviews in the media but I’ve not received any support from the industry. Tamil film producers like SR Prabhu (Surya’s cousin) or a S Sashikanth of Y Not Studios (which produced Vikram Vedha) push good cinema. New-age Malayalam filmmakers support each other and superstars Fahad Faasil or Dulquer want to act in good films. All we want is to create a system in the Kannada film industry where everyone can co-exist,” says Kamath, who was forced to self-fund Arishadvarga along with friends.

Mansore too says that it takes time to break into the industry but he has seen some “dark” days while promoting Nathicharami. Nobody wanted to touch his film since his lead actor Sruthi Hariharan, during the Me Too movement had accused co-actor Arjun Sarja of sexual misconduct.

In search of new audience

However, Kartik Gowda of Hombale Films has marketed and distributed ACT-1978, which made a difference and created a buzz around the film, he admits.

Moreover, the Kannada film industry also does not enjoy a sizable overseas market to shore up its revenues. A big chunk of earnings for Tamil and Malayalam films stem from the NRI overseas market — the Gulf countries, South-East Asia, UK, USA and Canada. In fact, Mohanlal’s Lucifer globally crossed the ₹100 crore mark from its earnings abroad last year.

Director KM Chaitanya agrees, “Unfortunately, Kannada films do not have an overseas market. A KGF-1 release abroad cannot be compared to the response to a Tamil or a Malayalam film outside India.”

However, there seems to be a silver lining in this scenario. Since last year, there has been a move by big budget films like KGF to make multilinguals and to release the film in other states as well.

New-age, small budget film directors too are being flooded with offers from other industries for remake and dubbing rights.

For instance, Mansore has already sealed a deal with a leading Bollywood production house for the Hindi remake rights of ACT 1978, made on a ₹3 crore budget. He is also discussing Tamil and Telugu remakes with south production companies.

Throw in telecast deals with satellite channels and OTT platforms into this equation, and filmmakers today seem to have a host of options to generate more revenues for a content driven, well-made film.

Pawan Kumar also remade the Telugu and Tamil version of his successful Kannada supernatural thriller film, U Turn, after talented actor Samantha Akkineni pushed to make the project. He had a lot more budget and resources at his disposal to give a better output for this version, he admits.

Even as this multilingual trend is fast catching on with Kiccha Sudeep’s Phantom too joining the bandwagon, the Kannada film industry is currently in the doldrums.

Losses are mounting as big budget films paying high interest rates are ostensibly waiting for the government’s nod for 100% occupancy in theatres before releasing their films.

This may be a good time as any for the Kannada film industry to take stock, come together and innovate to facilitate an environment to bring back some of its old glory.