JOIN USPushkar Films set for a fresh start
Pushkar Films is set to welcome a fresh chapter. After heralding a change in the Kannada film industry six years ago with a series of urban-centric films with solid content (‘Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu’, ‘Kirik Party’, ‘Humble Politician Nograj’ and ‘Katheyondu Shuruvagide’), the production house is ready with its full-fledged masala film aimed at the masses.
Founded by Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah, the banner’s first major project in the pandemic era is ‘Avatara Purusha’, directed by Suni and starring Sharan and Ashika Ranganath. The comedy-drama will hit the screens on May 6.
A promising career received a huge jolt when the big-budget ‘Avane Srimannarayana’ (ASN) (2019), starring Rakshit Shetty, failed to excite people of all sections. A fallout with its lead actor and the Covid-19 outbreak put Pushkara’s career on the brink.
From that precarious situation, the 41-year-old has scripted an inspiring comeback by overcoming a humungous financial hurdle. He spoke to Showtime about his plans for the resurrection of Pushkar Films with a ‘never give up’ attitude. Excerpts:
Has ‘Avatara Purusha’ got a clear window for a good run in theatres?
We saw ‘James’, ‘RRR’, and ‘KGF: Chapter 2’ jostling for screens. Now my film has got proper breathing space. It’s coming on the fourth week of ‘KGF’ and is likely to be the biggest Kannada film of the month. I waited for a year to get such a window.
The B and C centres are important box office areas. How can ‘Avatara Purusha’ impress the audience from those regions?
Firstly, Sharan sir’s films such as ‘Rambo’, ‘Victory’, ‘Adyaksha’ and ‘Rambo 2’ have performed well in B and C centres. Apart from that, the element of black magic is the biggest selling point of ‘Avatara Purusha’. Perhaps since ‘Apthamithra’ (2004), no Kannada film had shown intense black magic on screen and that is the X-Factor, as far as our film is concerned.
What were the learnings from the lowest phase of your life? Did you ever have thoughts of quitting films?
In terms of budget and the number of days filmed, 'ASN' was my riskiest project. Later, I had no option to quit because my banner was heavily in debt. As a producer, especially when you don’t have a godfather in the industry, you must not put all eggs in one basket. It becomes tough for producers from a middle-class background. Abstain from overconfidence.
What lies ahead for Pushkar Films?
‘Avatara Purusha’ is a fruitful project and I have recovered 80 per cent of its investment through OTT, satellite, and Hindi dubbing rights. My banner will go back to making four-five films a year.
Are you a shrewd businessman who focuses only on the script or do you look for sincerity in a filmmaker?
For me, the person and his or her character have to impress me, only then will I support the project. A cinema is a journey of a minimum of a year. You need to go through the ups and downs with your director. So I can’t collaborate with someone who messes things up in between a project.
What’s the secret to succeeding at the pan-Indian level?
The ‘Baahubali’ and ‘KGF’ films clicked as mass films made on big scales. On the contrary, the Marathi film ‘Sairat’, made on a small budget, did well all over India because the film’s content was unique. So for a film to collect humungous numbers such as Rs 1,000 crore, it needs to have larger-than-life characters. Otherwise, your film must have strong and relatable content to get a worldwide reach.
You recently announced that Pushkar Films is set to produce a pan-Indian film with a big star…
We have an idea. We are working on the story. The film needs international treatment. Around 70 per cent of the film will be shot abroad. It involves immense research and we need to take several permissions. After the release of ‘Avatara Purusha’ I will be travelling abroad to plan the shoot. This will be a prestigious project for Pushkar Films.