It's raining movies in Sandalwood

   While the global slowdown has seen several sectors of Indian economy run for cover seeking sops to stay afloat, it’s not been so with mandarins of Sandalwood.

The Centre had to come up with stimulus packages to catalyse sectoral growth to revive country’s sagging economy. However, the stimulus spurring spate of Kannada productions lately seems to come from not regular channels.

For, though Gandhinagar productions may not have hit bulls eye at the box office, still the number of films hitting the movie marquee has been on ascendancy lately. In fact, going by statistics, it’s Mungaru Male of movies at tinsel town last few years. 

If 2006, saw 69 films certified, 89 films were certified in 2007. In 2008 it hit a century with 118 films passing censors’ scrutiny. If the trend continues, 2009 may break previous year’s record, as, till July-end nearly 80 films saw certification.

‘Realty’ check

And reasons for these torrent of films are not far to seek. According to industry sources, with realtors taking reality check with realty, chasing celluloid chimera seemed best bet. They find films better proposition to get back faster returns than put their monies in risky projects, sources added.

With money power, sources said, they could muscle preferences on star cast and locations, ensuring their ventures made fast buck.

However, industry sources opined that with outsiders lacking experience and knowledge of the dynamics of working of the film industry, they will soon realise their folly and it would be back to square one sometime next year.