Mangaluru: As the big budget Telugu film ‘Bahubali’ is set to release this Friday, Anup Bhandary, director of the recently released Kannada film ‘RangiTaranga’, has accused multiplexes and other theaters of cutting down shows owing to the release of the Telugu film.
The Kannada movie which was released last Friday is said to have been running successfully in most of the theaters and multiplexes across the state. The multiplexes and single screen cinema halls then began cutting down on the shows for their film. Even though the film received good collections it is suffering in profits as the upcoming Telugu film has been allotted higher number of screenings in as many as 150 centers across the state, added Bhandary while briefing the reporters at a press conference in Mangaluru.
Speaking about the current scenario of regional cinema, the male lead of the film, Nirup Bhandary said, “The multiplexes did not display the posters properly and the timings on the digital display board were also not put up for the benefit of the audience. This is the fate of Kannada cinema,” Nirup is the brother of the film’s director Anup Bhandary.
A complaint has been lodged with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce by the film producer H.K. Prakash. “We will conduct a strike before the multiplexes if the movie is not given appropriate slots, he said.
He went on to say that despite not having given a lot of publicity in multiplexes, the film which propagates the ethos and culture of Tulunadu has been doing well at the box office and audiences have loved the film, he said.
Several other related issues were brought to light at the conference. Apparently, viewers had to fight for display of show timings on the display board. Three multiplexes in Bengaluru and one in Mysuru are said to have not displayed subtitles which are meant for people from other States to understand the film.
Online ticket booking websites allowed booking of seats in multiplexes for Telugu movie Bahubali for the whole week whereas there was no similar facility for ‘Rangitaranga’ according to the director. “We hope to get more shows especially in the evening so as to get more viewers”, he said and added that the film certainly deserves all the appreciation.
He concluded by appreciating Cinepolis theatre at City centre in Mangaluru for providing an additional show for the benefit of the audiences. The film will be screened at 3.50 p.m., 6.50 p.m. and 10 p.m.at Cinepolis from Friday.
