Films can wait, for now it's elections for entertainment

The Assembly elections and the IPL season have dealt a double blow to the Kannada film industry.

Sandalwood filmmakers, distributors and actors have attributed the reduced number of film buffs at theatres to the elections and the IPL mania. These events have also forced the industry to put some big releases on hold.

With the film industry coming almost to a standstill — except for the shooting of a few films and post-production activities — the daily wagers in Sandalwood have found odd jobs related to elections.

Some of them are involved in campaigning for candidates from various political parties and are getting much better deals besides sumptuous food.

Noted film director T S Nagabharna admitted that it is true to an extent that the industry has been affected because of the elections.

“Those who like cinema will continue to watch them, while those who are looking for entertainment will shift the course,” he said.

Actor and filmmaker Ramesh Aravind said this trend is quite normal during the elections and IPL season. “Wise people avoid releasing their movies during such times and that is what is happening now,” he said.

However, film producer ‘Jack’ Manjunath said that the slowdown in the film industry has nothing to do with either elections or the cricket matches.

“The reason why many people are not drawn to theatres is that there are no big movies. There are not many big actors in the Kannada film industry, but just four to six big stars who shoot one film a year. This has led to a lull,” he reasoned.