There was utter disenchantment amongst the Kannada speaking diaspora abroad about the quality of films being churned out especially those exposed to the golden period in Kannada cinema. Some like Satish Sastri, an electronics engineer and entrepreneur living in Amsterdam and more importantly a Kannada ‘abhimani’ never gave up hope. He founded Sandalwood Talkies which is the first single platform for Kannada movie distribution across the globe. You caould call him a facilitator more than a distributor.The money is marginal but Satish is passionate about Kannada cinema being watched and appreciated by a wider audience. He co-produced ‘Rajaratha’ which burned a big hole in his pocket but Satish is looking for good, talented directors with fire and fresh ideas. On the distribution front if films like ‘Rangi Taranga’ and ‘Godhi Banna’ nudged the door ‘Sarkari Hiriya’ and ‘KGF’ have kicked it wide open. Satish managed to release ‘KGF’ in various European countries, thanks to the goodwill he’s gained over the years. “The response is phenomenal,” he says with a glint in his eyes that no amount of money can bring.
The interview:
Was it home sickness or Kannada films not getting the same prominence abroad that made you start distribution?
I think the latter. We used to see Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films getting a wide release but for Kannada it was always a favour done by a local association with sometimes just one show. We never had a regular release so that was a motivating factor and being a Kannada ‘abhimani’ it makes me proud.
Is it because the Kannada diaspora is comparatively small in size?
That is a factor but it’s also about the number of people who watch films. Telugu and Tamil films are not only watched by those who speak those languages but Kannadigas too. Their audience base is bigger. Kannadigas think a hundred times before venturing out to watch a Kannada film which needs to change.
Does it reflect on the quality of our films too?
Well we’ve not been focussing on content for a long time and our filmmakers have not explored what the taste of fans who watch other language film is like. Our films not only have a restricted budget but also ideas whereas we see a lot of ‘out of the box’ films in Telugu and Tamil. Of late though I’m proud to say that’s changing. It should sustain and gain momentum to get a bigger audience.
When did this change start?
‘Luciya’ was a film that made people notice Kannada cinema. ‘Ulidhavaru Kandanthe’ was a sleeper hit outside. Even Rakshit Shetty was surprised because it didn’t do well here. Then came ‘Rangi Taranga’ which changed the way the overseas market looked at Kannada cinema. It set the platform for other Kannada films.
I hear people are not attracted by big stars but wait for people to endorse a particular film abroad.
That’s true especially for Kannada films where simultaneous releases don’t work. Stars travelling for the movie’s release helps. For ‘Godhi Banna’ and ‘Kirik Party’ the whole team travelled to various cities abroad. The last two big hits ‘Sarkari Hiriya’ and ‘KGF’ have changed the way people look at Kannada cinema abroad and simultaneous release seems possible although not for all movies. Like you said people don’t come for stars. Content is the star. ‘Word of mouth’ is very important or pre-release buzz like in ‘KGF’.
How do you decide on which film to release? Do you wait till you hear good things about the film?
We’re associated with some filmmakers since the start of their projects and we will be familiar with their previous works. We don’t necessarily buy the movie but work as overseas partners.
It must be difficult to woo a Kannadiga living abroad to watch a film.
It’s a huge task. It’s harder to get people to a theatre than to release a film. We do use all kinds of tools like social media. People have a lot of excuses for not turning up. It might cost 100 dollars for a family to watch a new movie which makes them think twice. Things are changing slowly though.
Does the cast and crew visiting make a difference like with ‘Kirik Party’?
It helps in getting a good opening and also awareness about a film. They don’t have to travel all over. Their travelling to one country will create enough buzz. People also like to meet and talk to them about the movie.
In all these years which is the biggest hit abroad?
Now it’s ‘KGF’. It’s beaten records. In the US alone earnings will touch one million I hope. ‘KirikParty’, ‘Sarkari Hiriya’ and ‘Rangi Taranga’ did well too and also ‘Godhi Banna’ and ‘U Turn’.
‘KGF’ must be the first superstar film in Kannada that has done well abroad. What did they do that others didn’t?
Absolutely. We have to give credit to Yash, the producer and the Hombale team. The pre- release noise created struck a chord. Their association with Farhan Akhtar, Vishal and Varahi films in other languages made people sit up. It’s a sort of validation. The promotions and approach were unique. It was a required shot in the arm for Kannada cinema.
Just out of curiosity since you say ‘KGF’ is the biggest hit how much did it earn abroad?
Let’s talk about gross because net profit varies like in China if a film makes 100 crores we need to understand that the net will be 10% of that. ‘KGF’ has earned a gross of five crores which is huge. It has shown that we have a market equivalent to other languages. Of course this is for all the versions. We’ve managed to release it in Latvia, Ukraine and Russia. We will be releasing it in Hungary and Poland as well. We’re reaching new shores. We can have only one show on a weekend but Indian students there help in a big way. They also help us organise these shows. It’s not financially attractive yet but we’ll get there.
sshivu@ yahoo.com
Published - January 10, 2019 02:36 pm IST
