Karnataka film industry gets a boost due to subsidy introduced by the govt

B.V. Karanth's 'Chomanna Dudi'Although the government of India has failed so far to formulate a film policy that will exploit the informational, cultural, commercial, international and developmental potential of cinema, its interest in film appears to have increased in recent years. This trend has made for a similar concern on the part of state governments and led to measures intended to encourage the growth and spread of the industry.The most recent example is the incentive offered by the Punjab government to film-makers: all films shot in the Punjab will henceforth receive a 75 per cent concession on entertainment tax in the state, regardless of whether they are in the Punjabi language or not. In addition, all films produced and shot in the state government's studio in Mohali near Chandigarh will receive a subsidy of Rs. 50,000 each.To what extent this step will assure the growth of an industry in the Punjab remains to be seen. But that it will set the ball rolling is clear from the experience of other states. The most successful example has been the cinema industry of Karnataka. Up to the early 60s, this state produced no more than seven or eight films per year.These ran in certain cities of the erstwhile Mysore state, attracting by and large only an urban middle class audience. The rural areas were exposed mainly to Tamil and Telugu films and the audiences of North Karnataka were monopolized by the Hindi cinema. Today, the Kannada film industry boasts of a five-fold increase in output. The market for Tamil and Telugu products has been wiped out while that for Hindi films has been reduced substantially.The major factor behind this development was the subsidy introduced by the government. A sum of Rs. 50,000 was given for every Kannada film, provided about 90 per cent of the footage was shot in Karnataka. The purpose of the subsidy was to give a fillip to the industry and to attract even those producers who were making Kannada films in Madras.Although this subsidy was modelled on the pattern adopted by Andhra Pradesh (which gave a sum of Rs. 75,000 to every Telugu film), it proved to be far more effective. The reason was that Telugu films, with a market both in India and abroad, had a much higher budget; their subsidy formed only a very small part of it.In Karnataka, the average budget in the early 60s was Rs. 1.5 to two lakhs, and this included the fee paid to a star like Raj Kumar. The government subsidy therefore covered one-third or a quarter of the entire cost, making for a sudden upsurge in film-making.Although this may tempt one to conclude that the Punjab is likely to show the same, or even more progress than Karnataka, the facts do not necessarily point in that direction. For, there were several other factors at work in Karnataka, some of which even formed the raison d'etre of the government's enlightened patronage. Ironically, the first among these was the extreme chauvinistic Kannada Chaluvaligararu movement.Led by novelist A.N. Krishnarao, this movement made a demand for special assistance to Kannada films in the way of subsidies, reservation of screening time in theatres, and fought for the elimination of dubbed Tamil and Telugu films because they killed the Kannada market. People involved in film-making were delighted and lent support to its demands. It was primarily this pressure that prompted the government to institute the subsidy for Kannada films.The second factor in the growth of the industry was the stardom of Raj Kumar. This popular screen hero was able to provide a local counterpoint to the attraction of Hindi and Tamil stars and hold an audience that may otherwise have rejected a relatively unglamorous industry. Raj Kumar has played the lead in more than half of the 500 odd films that have formed the total Kannada output since the late 50s.A subsidiary advantage derived from the appeal of this star was the setting of standards of discipline and dedicated work. Unlike his counterparts elsewhere, he established norms of punctuality, responsibility and relatively simple living. Also, ever since his first film Bederakannappa, he refused to act in any film other than that in Kannada.The third factor in the development and above all the quality of Kannada films was the work of Puttanna Kanagal. A self-made man from the commercial fold, this director of Belli Moda, Gejja Pooje (which won the national award for the best script) and many others, distinguished himself by eschewing melodramatic trends and continually trying to better his work.It was he also who gave importance to the trend of using literary themes for cinema, which was later to become one of the hallmarks of outstanding work in Kannada. In a sense he, along with Siddalingayya - director of Bhootayyana Magu Ayya, Katha Sangam and so on - form the bridge between the Raj Kumar type of commercials and the serious cinema of directors like Girish Karnad and B.V. Karanth.The fourth and most important factor in the development of the Kannada film was the controversial feature, Samskara. Made by a group of amateurs, this film was a direct result of the government's policy of financial aid. For, it is unlikely that producer P. Rama Reddy would otherwise have been able to raise enough money for it. However, the contribution of Samskara to the Kannada industry was even greater.Its initial banning brought in a great deal of publicity and when it finally won the President's gold medal, it gave national stature to the Kannada industry. Again, with the nationally celebrated playwright, Girish Karnad, involved in its production at every level, it led to a wave of film-making by highly talented and intelligent young people who did not belong to the traditional mould of cine artists and technicians. Inevitably, the film also set new standards of aesthetics and social responsibility, leading to the general uplift of the industry.Enlightened journalists like Y.N. Krishnamurty of Prajavani and N.V. Subba Rao of the Indian Express took a very detailed and healthy interest in films. As the Kannada market consisted largely of the urban middle class, coverage of this type proved to be extremely influential.While the progress of the Kannada film industry has indeed been phenomenal, certain unhappy trends are also discernible. When the subsidy caused an explosion in the output, there was an outcry against it from certain quarters which claimed that it had led to a larger production of bad films.This complaint has continued over the years, recently culminating in a movement, headed by film star Kalpana, who obviously fails to take note of the fact that bad films were bad even before the institution of the subsidy! However, there is no doubt that since more films are being made, the number of poor ones, like that of the good ones, has gone up.Far more disturbing is the fact that producers now have relatively larger sums of money with which to play around. If in 1968-69 a film made a profit of Rs. 6 to 7 lakhs, it was considered a super hit. Today, with larger audiences, a successful film easily nets a profit of Rs. 30 to 35 lakhs. This in turn tempts producers to go in for speculative spending. If the trend continues, it is likely that the Kannada industry will go the unhappy way of that in Tamil Nadu.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Apr 10, 2015 16:28 IST--- ENDS ---

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Karnataka film industry gets a boost due to subsidy introduced by the govt

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