The film industry admits a fall in attendance in theatres, especially in multiplexes because of COVID-19. Theatres, however, will not be closed like in Kerala, unless they get a clear health directive from the Government.
After the new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and the total count of Indian patients shot up to 60 plus, fear has gripped people. Kannada cinema is also hit by the new virus and screens across the state wear a deserted look.
Regardless of the virus threat, as many four Kannada films, including Shivarjuna, Naragunda Bandaaya, Ambaani Putra , and Hulidurga are hitting screens today.
Of the four films, Naragunda Bandaya is drawing attention as it is a fictionalised version of the historic revolt of farmers of Naragunda. In 1980, two farmers were killed in police firing during an agitation against betterment of levy imposed for water. Nagendra Magadi fictionalised this incident. Raksh and Shubha Pujna play lead characters.
Umesh Banakar, the vice-president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has observed that the number of the audience is dwindling, especially in Bengaluru. Regardless of the quality of the film and prestigious banners, film goers are thinking twice before they set foot in multiplexes and single screens.
Kannada cinema, which faces competition from other language films, dubbed films from Hollywood etc. is now further threatened by the wave of misinformation on social media, Banakar said. Though over 60 plus films have been released in the last 70 days, only four succeeded in recovering their investment, says a source in KFCC.
Admitting that there is a significant decrease in the number of audience coming to watch films, KV Chandrashekar, of Veeresh Theatre says, “There is a 25% drop in the audience.” Sources in KFCC disclosed that; films such as Baaghi-3 and Dhrona starring Shivarajkumar have also been affected to a great extent because of the virus. The release of the new James Bond film, No Time to Die , has been postponed.
Will film screenings be suspended in Karnataka too after Kerala? “The situation here has not reached the stage of suspending the screening of films. We will take a call only if the government issues a directive in this regard,” asserts Jairaj, President of KFCC.
