Take Dasara film festival to int’l level: Filmmaker

Film director P Sheshadri on Friday urged District In-charge Minister V Somanna to organise the Dasara Film Festival in a bigger way by taking it to international standards.

He was speaking during the inaugural ceremony of a workshop on ‘Screenplay writing’, organised as part of Dasara Film Festival, at Vignan Bhavana here. Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF) is being organised from 11 years and it was extended to Mysuru for two years. Later, Mysuru was dropped, he recalled.

Sheshadri urged the minister to upgrade the Dasara Film Festival to international levels as Mysuru Dasara International Film Festival.

Highlighting the quality of Kannada films, he said that though the number of film production has increased in the state, quality is lacking. According to him, in 2018, as many as 430 films applied for certification by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), but only 371 films were approved. Out of them, just 278 were released in theatres.

“For a good movie, story and screenplay is important. 90% of the success depends on screenwriting. Good viewers are also important in the success of a movie. We need to increase the number of good viewers, rather than making movies,” Sheshadri said.

‘India 1st in filmmaking’

India stands first in terms of film production and Karnataka is top in the country. Earlier, it was Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada.

Somanna assured of taking steps if he is the District In-charge Minister for next Dasara. “Filmmakers play a major role in reforming the society. I have not much interest in films. The last movie I saw in a theatre was ‘Hombisilu’ in 1978, starring Vishnuvardhan, Aarathi and Leelavathi. Immediately after my marriage, I watched a movie in a theatre. But, I slept within 10 minutes after the show started,” Somanna recalled.

‘Film, effective medium’

MLC K T Srikantegowda said that cinema is an effective medium of communication to reach all sections of the people, including educated and illiterate.

He seconded Sheshadri’s proposal and said that the film festival must be organised in a bigger way. Srikantegowda assured the government’s full support for Dasara celebration.

Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath said, “In earlier days, educational institutions used to exhibit good movies to children, but, it has stopped now. Such initiatives must be re-initiated.”

Film director B S Lingadevaru and Dasara Film Festival Deputy Special Officer B N Girish were present.