Award winners take sleaze route to success

Award winning director Ayodhya Kumar claimed that his upcoming film ’24 Kisses’ is not a skin show, rather a heart-warming love saga. “Frankly, `24 Kisses’ is not a sleazy film, rather it is an emotional love saga. In fact, it boasts of good content,” says director Ayodhya Kumar while talking to the media on Thursday. “I made a thought-provoking film like ‘Minugurulu’, hence I don’t need to stoop low” he added.

However, the trailers and posters of the film showing the lead actors Arun Adith and Hebah Patel `locking lips’ in varied positions has generated lot of heat and upstaged the content of the film. Now, we have to see whether the bold film will change the career graph of realistic filmmaker who bagged a bunch of Nandi awards for his off-beat film ‘Minugurulu’, a tale of blind boy who overcomes hurdles to accomplish his goal. Probably, he is taking a cue from his predecessors like Narasimha Nandi and Praveen Sattaru who tasted success with sex-driven movies like ‘High School’ and ‘Guntur Talkies,’ over their acclaimed and award winning movies like ‘1940lo Oka Gramam’ and ‘Chandamama Kathalu’ respectively to change the trajectory of their not-so-happening careers.

“Frankly, there is little respect for national and award winning filmmakers in T-town”’ says Narasimha Nandi ,who bagged the national award for his touching saga of young girl who is forced to marry an aged man in ‘1940 Oka Gramam Lo’ and adds “Unlike in Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema, the national award winning filmmakers are treated with respect and hailed as highly-talented. But in T-town, no big hero is ready to listen to our scripts nor a producer willing to bet money on our talent,” he points out.

Frustrated with lack of encouragement for quality cinema, Narasimha Nandi chose a sleazy route with loads of skin show in his subsequent films like ‘High School’ and ‘Lajja’ released a few years ago. “These bold films were made out of desperation but I could prove that I can make a money spinner, but now, I regret it,” he confesses. Similarly, even new-age director Praveen Sattaru, who bagged a national award for ‘Chandamama Kathalu’, had to make a dark comedy ‘Guntur Talkies’, before redeeming himself with the spy thriller ‘PSV Garuda Vega’ which minted money at the box office. “More than talent, it is commercial success that counts in the industry.

Even half-baked filmmakers are getting more offers just because they have hits, while national award winners are sulking in a corner,” says Satish Kasetty, who bagged a national award for his heart-wrenching film ‘Hope’. However, another national award-winning director Neelakantha begs to differ. “I received national awards for my film ‘Show’ as well as respect in the industry. I could also make a movie like ‘Missamma’, so a national award is like a new feather in your cap and not an unnecessary baggage.” he concludes