At a time when star-studded movies are struggling in the Kannada film industry , Rangi Taranga, made by a bunch of newcomers, mostly software professionals, has completed 100 days in theatres in the State.
The thriller, directed by short-film maker Anup Bhandari, is a hit even abroad and reportedly has earned more than the combined overseas collection of all Kannada films till date.
In the U.S., the film has made Rs. 2.1 crore in 73 screens and according to Mr. Bhandari, it is the first Kannada film to complete 50 days there.
He claims that Rangi Taranga is the biggest multiplex hit ever in Kannada with 4,000 shows and is running for the 13th week.
The film has also been released in a record 11 screens in Maharashtra and continues to run well in its fifth week in Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. The film also released in Chandigarh, Kochi, Kolkata and Coimbatore.
The film, made on a shoestring budget of Rs.1.5 crore, stood against blockbusters such as Bahubali of S.S. Rajamouli and continues to attract audience till date.
Rangi Taranga, which came without much pre-release publicity, started attracting audience as its fame spread like wildfire just a couple of days after its release, thanks to the social media.
Asked about the unprecedented success of the movie, Mr. Bhandari said, “We are indebted to the audience and the social media for the success.”
Refusing to categorise his movie as art, commercial or bridge cinema, he prefers to call it a “commercial bridge film.”
Admitting that market strategies helped the movie to a larg extent, he said, “We were very strategic, because of the limited budget for marketing. While people promoted the film, we provided genuine information and data to them, without misusing their trust.”
The Rangi Taraga team is now toying with three different scripts.
“While all the three are interesting, we are trying to figure out which one would be the best to follow Rangi Taranga , as expectations will be sky high,” Mr. Bhandari added.
The film made by newcomers is a success in the United States too
