Sandalwood makers on red alert

It took everyone in Bangalore by surprise when Telugu actor Allu Arjun, who has never promoted a film in Bangalore till this year, dropped by around three months back to Bangalore to popularise his latest release. This weekend saw the 50-day celebrations of Badhrinaadh, where Arjun greeted his fans and also shared the dais with Sandalwood celebrities.

While it may seem like growing camaraderie between actors from different film industries, Sandalwood film-makers are quite tense.

A senior producer, on conditions of anonymity, says, “It is nice that Allu Arjun is coming all the way from Hyderabad to meet his fans in Bangalore. But this also means that they’ve now realised how easy it is to sway the minds of the Bangalore film audience towards their side.”

In the past few months, two film crews, first Badhrinaadh and then 180, came to promote their films in the city. This had already raised the alarm. A young film director says, “We’re already struggling to get a decent volume when it comes to audiences in the cinema halls. People in this cosmopolitan city are spoilt for choice. Nowhere else do you see films in six languages releasing simultaneously. Nowadays, even some Bengali films are being released.”

He continues, “First, there were only the Hindi film crews who understood the gravity that the Bangalore audience holds for their film. From Aamir Khan to Salman Khan, everyone has done mall visits and other promotional activities in Bangalore, where the fans have enjoyed their visits. Today, the collections from this area is a big determinant when they are proclaiming a film’s success. Now, there are Telugu crews coming in. Pretty soon, there will be Tamil films following the same strategy too.”

If we are to take the case of Badhrinaadh, the film has seen some great collections in the Bangalore multiplexes. Most of the gold class halls in the city too ensure that they have a show or two of a Telugu film, if not a hall that’s fully screening that week’s Telugu release. With the success of larger-than-life films like Magadheera and Badhrinaadh, which have mammoth budgets, it has ensured some Kannada producers look at this as a threat.

“The return of investments for Telugu and Tamil films has increased in a major way. They’ve now discovered markets not only in other states in the country but abroad as well. Kannada films unfortunately are trying to compete with other language films in Karnataka itself, leave alone releasing in states outside. Their gigantic budgets thus, are a big luring factor to the Kannada fans, since most Kannada films are made with rather measly budgets if we’re to compare,” says another producer.

While there are producers and directors worrying about whether their market will now be taken over by other film industries, the KFCC president seems quite confident about Kannada films. “Karnataka has always been a nurturing state. We’ve welcomed films from other languages. We’ve also welcomed talent from other states and ensured they grow. These functions are no cause for worry. People will always encourage a good Kannada film,” says Basant Kumar Patil.