In conversation with film producer KNT Sastry

Wednesday March 28 2007 11:18 IST

KNT Sastry is a wellknown film critic and producer. He has also produced seven documentaries including Surabhi which received the National Award for the Best Anthropological documentary.

His first feature film was తిలదానం (Tiladanam) which got an International award and was adjudged as the Best Asian Film. He served as a jury member in Sochi (Russia), Pusan (South Korea) and Vladivostock Film Festivals (Russia). He also served as jury member of the Indian Panorama and National Awards.

Tiladanam was the first Telugu film to get an international award and the first Indian film adjudged as Best Asian Film at Pusan International Film Festival. It also won the National Award, Golden Lotus, Indira Gandhi Award and Best First Film awards.

His other film కమలి (Kamli) was screened in the ongoing Hyderabad International Film Festival. His documentary Bullets from the Bauxtie too was screened. He shared his views on Telugu cinema and other issues with this website's newspaper.

He said it was nice that the International film festival was being conducted here. When asked about many Telugu film personalities criticizing that Telugu cinema has not been given due recognition in many film festivals, Sastry said it was the fault of Telugu directors and producers.

“What is there if you produce 200 films in a year. Most of them are remakes from other languages. If you make good films you will be definitely honoured. Blaming others for our fault is wrong.”

Sastry wondered why a classic movie like Maya Bazaar was not being screened in this festival. BN Reddy was one of the best directors we had, but his film was not available to be screened in the festival,” he said.

States like West Bengal, Karnataka and Kerala are extending financial support to encourage serious films. “They invite the directors and ask them to produce serious films. At least a dozen films of this nature come out every year in these languages. There is no financial support in our State,” he said.

If a director gets a Golden Lotus in those languages, governments gives lakhs of rupees to him. “Here I got Golden Lotus three times, but I did not get anything either from the government or from the industry,” he lamented.

“Before the death of Soundarya, I literally begged many committees for financial help to make Kamli. But nobody came forward and instead laughed at me. But, now this film is going for many film festivals,” he said proudly. Nandita Das played the lead role, after the sudden demise of Soundarya, who was the original choice for the lead.

Most of his documentaries and films are vying for film festivals. Social issues dominate his films. He draws his themes from the contemporary society. Kamli is about a girl child among the lambadas. They consider a girl in the family as an expendable commodity. The irresponsible and alcoholic husband tries to convince his wife to sell the girl child to overcome financial problems.

“The theme was based on a real life incident and a scene in the film too was actually a direct lift from my watchman’s life. I have been a witness to their fight at the hospital ward. Shafi has been so realistic and has done a fantastic job.

Nandita excells in Kamli’s role,” he said. But these films do not reached to all the audiences. He said the audience too watched and patronised regular masala like songs, story and entertainment.

“The audience too are interested in their favourite hero’s movies, his son’s movies etc. It is not a good sign”.

“There are few directors making serious films. My film was the first Telugu film to get an international award, and recently another young director Ramesh Domalapalli got this award,” he said.

There was no support from the industry or government for filmmakers like him, he added.

Courtesy: NewIndPress