Other language films like Pushpa are doing well in Karnataka because…

Director Pavan Wadeyar, of films like the Yash-starrer Googly, and Puneeth Rajkumar’s Natasarvabhowma, etc., who has also produced the National Award winning Dollu, is gearing up to direct his next with Shivarajkumar in the lead. The filmmaker was at a movie event recently, and spoke on the sidelines of it about the current situation in Kannada cinema, including multiple movies releasing in theatres week-on-week, audiences shunning theatres and the onslaught of big-ticket movies from other languages.

File image of Pavan with Puneeth on the set of Natasaarvabhowma

That exhibitors tend to favour big films from, say, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, over allocating shows/screens to Kannada cinema has been an ongoing debate. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has often been called out for not being able to rein in exhibitors and ensure fair distribution of screens. Pavan, though, says that the exhibitors cannot be faulted for choosing to go with the more financially-viable option.

For theatre owners, it is a matter of business, he opines. “They are not doing social service; it is a business. If you market your film well and project it a certain way, they will pick it. See, Kannada films like KGF and Kantara did phenomenally well in neighbouring states, right? We cannot sit here and complain that films from other states are doing well here. That is happening because they are making films with a certain vision, are marketing them well and ensuring it is reaching the audience. Most importantly, it is also what audiences want,” says Pavan, speaking to Ashwaveega News.

Pavan Wadeyar’s film with Shivarajkumar will take off in 2025

The fact that films like, say, Pushpa 2, have been able to record massive collections, after spending a great deal on the making and promotions, is, ultimately down to the demand from audiences, he reckons. “These films have been able to get audiences to want to watch them. The franchise has been branded well, so much so that audiences look forward to the next instalment,” says Pavan, adding that it is, therefore, foolish of smaller films from Kannada to plan their release around the same time and expect to put up competition. “They should wait it out, until a more peaceful time and then release their films, instead,” he says.

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