Kannada films for the Oscars?

 

Kannada films, especially the art-house variety — have been making headlines by winning accolades at international film festivals. However, commercial Kannada films have always found it difficult to make an impact on the international scene. This has been attributed to their lack of quality or competition with other films in other languages being screened in the state. Now comes the news that two Kannada films — Lucia and Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KVSR) — are among 20 films being considered for India's Oscar entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Film Federation of India (FFI), which will choose India's Oscar entry, will start screening the shortlisted films on September 17. But do Kannada films stand a chance in the world cinema platform?

Getting a nomination itself is a big deal Irrespective of whether one of their films gets nominated or not, the directors of Lucia and KVSR are happy about them being considered as potential Oscar entries from India. Naganna, who directed the historical film KVSR, says, "While we know about other historical personalities like Adolf Hitler and Napoleon, it's sad that we don't know much about those from our state, like Rayanna or Rani Chennamma. If the film gets out on a global platform, it will be an honour for India, as other countries will get to know about our historical figures as well. I don't know about our chances, but I am glad that we have done something that the state can rejoice about."

Director Pawan Kumar, who directed Lucia, says, "While KVSR is a `50-crore-odd budget film with a top star (Darshan), I'm glad that my film Lucia, which was made on a very small budget, is also being considered for an Oscar entry. It's not just art-house movies that attract world audiences; people also want to watch films like this that strike the right balance between commercial and parallel films. Kannada films are definitely changing and I hope movies like these pave the way for aspiring filmmakers to take up different subjects. Getting a nomination itself is a big deal."

Tough competition While there are other films that are being considered for India's Oscar entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category, the competition is quite tough, says Pawan. "We are competing with movies like Madras Cafe and Ship of Theseus. We have some good films from the south that are being considered as well. However, I'm glad that our films have at least come this far. We originally planned to release Lucia online and didn't expect to reach this stage."

We still have a long way to go Actor and director Ramesh Aravind says that Kannada films are finally getting their due. "Though it is too early to comment on the nomination, it's better late than never. KVSR and Lucia are two films that dealt with two totally different subjects and were brave cinematic attempts. However, we still have a long way to go. There have been high-quality films in Kannada that have made some noise on the international circuit. But one or two films won't make a difference," says Ramesh.

Filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh couldn't agree more. "We still have a lot of constraints in making a good Kannada film, from budgets to competition from films in other languages. Though sometimes, I feel competition against Hindi or Tamil films shouldn't come into the picture, as we are dealing with Kannadigas who watch Kannada films and those who don't. We also can't live in the glory of movies that do well in Bangalore, as at times, films won't do well beyond the state capital. It should be a collaborative effort to make a difference, which will take a long time. However, this piece of news is good to hear." By Sharanya CS TNN

Other films that have been shortlisted 1) English Vinglish (Hindi) 2) Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Hindi) 3) Madras Cafe (Hindi) 4) Vishwaroopam (Tamil) 5) Mithunam (Telugu) 6) Celluloid (Malayalam)