Actors wrote misery script of film industry

Actors wrote misery script of film industry: Kumaraswamy

Film exhibitors, producers and distributors should hold discussions and strive sincerely for the growth of the industry, says film producer and JD(S) Working President H D Kumaraswamy.

Deccan Herald

Film producer and JD(S) Working President H D Kumaraswamy said on Monday that it was not appropriate to impose a three-week ban on other language films.

Speaking to presspersons while on a visit here, Mr Kumaraswamy said the problem would not be resolved by completely stopping the functioning of Kannada film industry and staging a bundh. He opined that actors were fighting for their selfish gains.

Mr Kumaraswamy said actors themselves were responsible for the industry’s misery. “In case a producer suffers loss, no actor will come to his rescue. Therefore, they should call off the bundh and try to resolve the issue,” he opined.
Mr Kumaraswamy also felt that exhibitors, producers and distributors should hold discussions and strive sincerely for the growth of the industry. “Agitation will take Kannada film industry backwards,” he added.

Elaborating that there was no need for an agitation, he said: “To begin with, they focussed on Kannada language, land, Mahajan report, Sarojini Mahishi report and Nanjundappa report. In case, the exhibitors agree to their condition against screening of other language films for three-weeks, will the actors continue agitation for the issues on which they took off, he questioned.

Mr Kumaraswamy further said that it would not be possible to preserve language through film industry as the latter had commercial interest and actors were working for their profession and not for the language.

Pointing out that closure of film industry during matinee idol Dr Rajkumar’s kidnap had resulted in heavy financial loss, he said people may lose interest in films if the same thing happened. He also criticised divisions within the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.

‘Nobody is above law’
Meanwhile, Dr Patil Puttappa, a veteran journalist and president, Forum for Karnataka Development on Monday in Hubli expressed his severe dissatisfaction over the indefinite Kannada film industry bundh protesting against the attitude of film exhibitors with regard to the screening of non-Kannada films.

Addressing a news conference, he said nobody (including actors, directors and producers) is above law. Leading cine-artistes like Dr Rajkumar and Mr Vishnuvardhan should reconsider their decision keeping in view the interest of thousands of poor workers, technicians and supporting artistes.

Kannada film industry does not mean Kannada land, language and water alone. All those who love Kannada should actively participate in the proposed ‘rail bundh’ on December 1. The present imbroglio between the exhibitors and artistes, producers and directors should be sorted out amicably within the legal frame. Thousands of poor workers would have to starve because of the indefinite Kannada film industry bundh. Any decision taken by certain people without participating in the meeting convened by the government will not be complete.

The Kannada cine-artistes should involve themselves in welfare programmes as is being done by Tamil cine- artiste Rajnikanth. Besides, they should actively involve themselves in agitations for protection and preservation of Kannada language.

“Let the producers make quality films which can be watched by the entire family but let them not force viewers to watch films of any particular language. First, hold talks without taking the decision of slapping seven weeks ban on non-Kannada films or else this matter will become more complicated.”