Can academy save Kannada films?

T S Nagabharana, chairman of the state's new film body, says it's wrong to blame directors for box office disasters; believes survey will reveal the real problems

Can academy save Kannada films?

T S Nagabharana, chairman of the state's new film body, says it's wrong to blame directors for box office disasters; believes survey will reveal the real problems

Kannada Chalanachitra Academy, an agency which will promote Kannada feature films, was launched by chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

T S Nagabharana, chairman of the academy, talks about the challenges ahead.

New beginnings: Jayamala, Nagabharana, Katta Subramanya Naidu, Yaddyurappa, R Ashok and Jaggesh at the launch pic/ K N Nagesh kumar

What's on your list of priorities as academy chief?
The academy will conduct a survey among filmmakers and audience in the state, to find out why Kannada films are struggling commercially. The survey results will be sent to the government. We will conduct special workshops and courses on cinema. We hope to launch film clubs in schools and colleges.u00a0

Why do you need a survey to tell you why Kannada films are going wrong?
Everyone in the industry has their own version about why our films fare poorly. Filmmakers cannot always be the reason for the failure of a film. There are many instances where good films have failed miserably. High costs of production and low returns, and falling viewership limit us to the Karnataka market. I blame the entire system in the industry. We need to adopt a systematic approach to study the industry and the audience. The industry is growing at a clip, but only in terms of quantity and not quality. Most films fail to run beyond a week.u00a0u00a0

The state films awards are never free of controversy. Will the academy be involved in the selection process henceforth?
No. There is a separate committee and a panel for that. We will not interfere in any process in the state film awards selection. Invariably, those who lose show contempt for the winners and the jury. Such a problem has no solution.u00a0u00a0

Did Karnataka take a cue from Kerala in setting up such an academy?
We were the first ones to conceive the idea, but the Kerala government was the first to deliver!

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