The Angry Generation

The Censor Board has certified Kannada cinema as the most violent in India

The Kannda film industry has been thrown into a tailspin by a new breed of aggressive producers who are shaking its very foundations with uncharacteristically violent films. Known as ‘macchu-long’ movies—a slang for the axes and long swords used by the local underworld—these films have shocked average cine-goers with brazen scenes of violence and perverse potboilers in what has turned out to be a disastrous year gone by for the industry.

A Central Board of Film Certification survey reveals that of all films made nationwide last year, a whopping 29 per cent of Kannada films were based on crime and violent themes. Tamil cinema came second, but with just 4.4 per cent films made on these themes. Of course, the year in question has also seen a larger number of Kannada films being made, what with real-estate and mining barons pumping money into the industry. While in 2008, 165 films were certified and 118 released, in 2009, already 89 have been certified and 50 films released.

However, according to A Chandrashekhar, who heads the regional censor board, only 40 per cent of films in Karnataka are certified for release without any cuts. “The rest get chopped by as much as 25 per cent on an average, largely for having scenes with excessive and mindless violence,” he says.

In such instances, dealing with the filmmakers can also be problematic. Recently, when Chandrashekhar raised an objection to a film title, Hodimaga (Bash Him Up, Son), the producers responded by changing it to Hatrick Hodimaga (Make it a Hatrick, Son), alluding to the hero Shivarajkumar’s two previous hits. In an unprecedented gesture, the lead actor apologised to his fans for the baseless violence in the film, and got two gory scenes deleted.

The raw violence has, of course, shocked regular film-goers brought up on a diet of clean family entertainment. “I used to love Kannada movies. They were films about love, family drama or some such themes,” says S Chethan, a college student in Bangalore, “But now, all new films are driven by revenge, rowdyism, murder, gun and knife culture. There is so much violence. I am shocked at the kind of low-quality films being churned out.’’

The latest trend has also worried those in the Kannada film industry. A public relations executive with a film production house, who did not want to be named, is critical of the “unnecessary and long scenes depicting fights, violence and crime” that pass off as action here. “Sometimes, they are even unrelated to the theme of the movie.’’

But that is just one part of the problem. The entry of these new producers over the past couple of years has more than doubled production costs, making it difficult for those who want to create a different genre of cinema. In 2007, the production cost of an average Kannada film used to be Rs 50 lakh, excluding the rates charged by artistes. Now it stands at Rs 1.5 crore, and any film costs at least Rs 3 crore to make, as the rates charged by stars, too, have skyrocketed. Actors like Ganesh, Darshan, Upendra and Shivrajkumar charge as much as Rs 1 crore per film. And Puneet Rajkumar, the third son of thespian Dr Rajkumar, industry sources say, commands Rs 2 crore, an audacious amount by Kannada film standards.

“Can you imagine regional cinema costing Rs 3 crore? We cannot think of getting so much in returns as the success rate of Kannada films is just 0.5 per cent,’’ says veteran director and producer TS Nagabharana. “These new producers have bulldozed their way into an industry that used to make 70 to 80 films a year, giving reasonable returns. There are 48 to 53 macchu-long films based on the underworld that were made in 2008 alone. I wonder who told them that these films would sell, as none have clicked.’’

The sheer number of movies being made has also led to pressure on industry economics. According to data from the Karnataka Film Chamber, the number of film theatres in the state has fallen from 1,300 to 780. With new movies being released every week, many movies, even if they are good, do not run for more than a few weeks as distributors evict them and release new movies in their place.

With satellite TV channels competing for audience shares, Nagabharana says, the film industry should not take its patrons for granted. “Cine-goers know that even if they miss a film, they can soon see it on television a few months later. The new crop does not understand this. They are making a surfeit of B-grade films full of mindless violence and themes that don’t attract the average movie buff.’’

Earlier, the ailing Kannada film industry was dependent on the government for rebates, grants and tax cuts. Now, they don’t need this as a typical movie runs for a couple of weeks, then its rights are sold to satellite television. The producers also make money from the songs. Some have even made their dough by selling movie rights for remaking it in other languages and for dubbing rights. All this action has, of course, alerted the income tax department, which is now reportedly keeping a close eye on many new producers and artistes.

The new entrants are easy to identify as their mugshots often compete in size with those of the lead actors on movie posters. Many of them are also realising their acting dreams by doing bit roles in their own films. “We have entered the film world because of the glamour attached to it,’’ declares Manohar, who says he has produced eight movies so far. “Earlier, though I had talent, I could not enter the industry because of lack of money. Now, I have the money, and command respect.’’

Yet, what the film industry really seems to be gaining nowadays is bad repute. Many of the new producers have questionable sources of money, and in one instance at least, the violence depicted in their films turned too real for comfort. Last year, a drinking binge ended with a budding Kannada actor, Vinod Kumar, being fatally shot at point-blank range by a realtor-turned-film producer Govardhan Murthy.

Kumar was killed quite in filmi style. He was drinking late into the night with his friend Shankar Reddy and Murthy, when the latter asked Reddy to step outside for a chat. Soon, bullets shattered the calm. Kumar rushed out to see Murthy holding a revolver, but Reddy was unharmed. Kumar demanded to know where the bullets had struck. Murthy’s bodyguards tried to restrain him, but Kumar was adamant. “Where are the bullets?’’ he reportedly kept asking Murthy. “Here!’’ replied Murthy, and pumped two bullets from the 7.7 mm pistol into the actor’s chest. Murthy immediately drove away in his car along with his bodyguards. Murthy, said to be worth over Rs 500 crore, is now cooling his heels in jail. He has produced three films, including Madesha, a hit movie loosely based on the underworld.

In the meantime, Nagabharana thinks the industry should get a government subsidy to survive this phase, even while striking a note of caution. “This is a bad trend as there have been actors like Vijay, Shivarajkumar and Darshan who have released two new films on the same day. Who will they compete against? Themselves?’’ he asks.

Kannada cinemaviolence