At IFFI, Kantara star Rishab Shetty rues OTT platforms' reluctance for Kannada films - 'Why no takers for Pedro?'

Kannada filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty expressed his disappointment with OTT platforms for their hesitancy to invest in Kannada film industry talent during a press conference at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on Tuesday.

Rishab, whose runway hit Kantara won the coveted Special Jury Award at the festival, rued about the reluctance of major platforms to promote parallel and contemporary Kannada films.

"Right now, OTT platforms don't want to enter the Kannada film industry. They say, 'We will take time, and not a lot of subscribers are watching Kannada films.' Now, the streaming platforms are also primarily focused on commercial films," said Rishab. 

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Rishab has bankrolled three films —Pedro, Shivamma, and Vaghachipani. Despite receiving glowing reviews from critics in many film festivals worldwide, they are yet to find a home on streaming platforms. 

"Cinema has given us so much and in return, we have produced certain genre films. But, we are still waiting for the OTT platforms to open their doors for us," he revealed. 

Rishab noted that if he released all these films directly in theatres without securing partnership deals with the OTT platforms, he might risk heavy financial loss. "I might not be able to produce similar films in future. Because we can use that budget to support a new filmmaker with commercial ideas," he added. 

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But, he noted that only the Kannada film industry was facing this challenge in the market. "We made Pedro two years ago. Along with this film, there was also another film in the Film Bazaar. Since it was in a different language, it's now on a streaming platform."

"Our film also received equal recognition from critics all around the world. It participated in many festivals like Busan. Why are there no takers for this film?" asked Rishab. 

Rishab, however, also thanked the OTT platform for creating a robust environment for the film industry by removing language barriers. "It's a revolution," he added. " "Now, it has become Indian cinema." 

Rishab is now getting ready to start shooting for Kantara Chapter 1, which is a prequel to Kantara. 

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