Quizzed at IFFI about faith, Rishab says 'Cinema is God'

Rishab Shetty, who made the sensational hit Kantara, was mobbed by fans on the fifth day of the India International Film Festival here.

Engaged in conversation by veteran producer T G Thyagarajan, who asked him in detail about his film journey, Rishab spoke a mix of Hindi, Kannada and English, and said he would continue to make films in Kannada, “the language in which I think".

A big squad of security personnel had to escort him out after he had spoken to a packed hall at the Entertainment Society of Goa, as he was chased by fans demanding selfies and autographs.

During the question-and-answer session, a film buff said he had watched Kanthara multiple times, and was still wondering what genre it could be placed in. “I did not think of any particular genre while making the film,” Rishab said, adding that he was influenced by the ‘ajji kathe’ (grandmother’s tales) style of storytelling when he scripted the film.

With Kantara pitting faith against the state, Rishab was quizzed about whether he was a believer or a non-believer. He described himself as a believer. “Even non-believers believe in their convictions,” he said.

Questions persisted, and a member of the audience asked him what his perception of God was. “Cinema is God,” he said, saying it had brought him fame and even earned him a place at IFFI.

Contest winner

Earlier in the day, Dear Diary, a film made by a team of young filmmakers, won the 53-hour filmmaking challenge. Students from film institutes across the country are attending the nine-day festival in big numbers, and participating in events such as this one.

Mani Ratnam, the renowned filmmaker who headed the jury, announced the winner. The festival, featuring 280 films and 79 countries, concludes on November 28.