“Politicians are completely using the idea of faith
of the common people and trying to set their own agendas”, said filmmaker Umesh
Kulkarni, at the ‘In Conversation’ segment of the IFFK. “With the money,
libraries and basic amenities are not what are being constructed. It is all
vote-bank politics, faith is getting manipulated. Politicization of religion is
what is happening”, added Kulkarni, whose film ‘Highway’ is being screened in
the Jury Films package as he is part of the festival jury.
“My concept of a hit film is different. The numbers
are not what matters. When a film strikes a chord inside someone, that is what
matters. How deep a film affects someone, the longevity, that is what matters,”
said he. “Thanks to digital technology and film festivals, people have started
watching, experimenting, and studying cinema. Film clubs should start in major
cities, and have screenings every month. That is the ground work that needs to
be done. We should even have a channel dedicated to documentaries”, he added.
“Regional films have improved a lot. Films are not
just a product; it is a genuine expression of one’s thoughts. We should
encourage the production of regional films more, and make it global. And on
whether we should focus on international film festivals, I would say that is
not the final destination. Our audience is here, we need to make films for them”,
asserted Umesh.
Film critic and writer C S Venkiteswaran
participated in the session.
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