Audiences want good content, but won't come to theatres and wait for an OTT release: Four Walls director Sajjan

A common refrain one hears these days from filmmakers is that making a movie is easy, getting it to theatres is the tricky issue. But even if you manage to get that down, there is no guarantee that audiences will head to the movie halls. Director Sangamesha S Sajjanara is all set to present his film, Four Walls and Two Nighties, to audiences tomorrow. It’s a film that is headlined by veteran character artiste Achyuth Kumar, and explores the relationship dynamics between a father and his grown-up children.

Ahead of the film’s release, which is being distributed by Rama Rama Re maker D Satya Prakash, Sajjan, as the director is called, admits to a case of nerves. “For long, we’ve heard Kannada audiences complain of a lack of quality content, and the constant comparison with Malayalam cinema, but the problem is that often, even when we do present a good film, there aren’t many takers, and since the pandemic, people just wait for it to come on OTT. That is not very encouraging for filmmakers or producers who put in the money for good content to be made,” says the filmmaker, who has managed a few shows across select movie halls in Bengaluru.

The trailer of the film, incidentally, was quite intriguing, as it follows Achyuth’s character Shankranna’s progression from a young man in love with his neighbour, to a single father of four grown-up children and the tensions that arise owing to his style of parenting. “This film has a wonderful message for society, but it is not preachy in tone and has been presented as a commercial film that all audiences can enjoy,” says Sajjan.