Kousalya Supraja Rama: When films produced by artistes or technicians succeed, it will benefit the industry, says director Shashank

Kannada filmmaker Shashank has a film up for release soon. Called Kousalya Supraja Rama, the film has Darling Krishna in the lead, along with Brinda Acharya, Milana Nagaraj, Achyuth Kumar, Rangayana Raghu and Sudha Belawadi, among others. Shashank has the added responsibility of being co-producer on this film, which he explains is like holding heavy weights in both hands.

Talking about why he’s turned producer, Shashank said, “There was a dream to have a production house and make good films. Right now, I am making one film every couple of years or so, but the hope is to be able to turn all the stories that I have into movies. This will allow my crew also to grow in the process. That is why I started a production house, there was no other intention behind it. When technicians and artistes turn producers, the idea is to provide a platform for young talent to prove themselves. So, when such films succeed, it will give us the money and encouragement needed to keep making good films and give new talent opportunities. This, in turn, will be beneficial for the Kannada film industry.”

Kousalya Supraja Rama will be in theatres on July 28 and the team has been adopting innovative promotional strategies, including fun videos before the trailer and song launches. Elaborating on this, Shashank said, “Today, more than making a film, marketing it is far more difficult. Back in the day when I was making Krishna Leela, I never bothered about publicity. I thought that making a good film was all that was required and that is all we focused on. Now, along with a good film, your marketing has to be on par with that. This is a challenge that we have to face head on. Having said that, it is also important that audiences show more interest in what is happening in the industry. The bare minimum would be for them to know what the releases of the week are, instead of only finding fault with filmmakers for not doing enough to reach audiences. Audiences should follow Kannada cinema and be willing to go to theatres when a good film comes along.”