Filmmaker Ramesh K Kamath’s Konkani movie Apsara Dhara was screened at the Bengaluru International Film Festival 2020 (BIFFES 2020) on Monday (March 2) and it clicked with a section of the audience. Speaking exclusively to DH, the director opened about the challenges associated with making a children’s movie in a minority language and the future of Konkani cinema.
What is the core plot of Apsara Dhara?
Apsara Dhara is a message-based film and revolves around how children should pay attention to education and not wealth. The movie also touches upon the importance of providing education to the girl child.
What are the advantages of screening your movie at BIFFES 2020?
Sadly, no one generally comes to watch a Konkani language film. When we come to film festivals, we manage to get some crowd.
What are the difficulties associated with making a Konkani movie?
Konkani movies can’t be very commercially successful as the market is small. For me, it (filmmaking) is not a profession as I do it only out of love for the language. Also, Apsara Dhara is quite a small movie and the total budget is around Rs 38 lakh.
Does the Konkani film industry receive sufficient support from the government?
Yes, the state government is providing aid to movies made in minority languages.
Do you feel that streaming platforms will help Konkani cinema find wide patronage?
OTT platforms have the potential to help Konkani cinema reach a wide audience. I have applied to Netflix and waiting for the final outcome.
What are the future prospects of Konkani cinema?
I don’t think that Konkani cinema can grow beyond a point as the community is quite scattered. I think, there are not more than 35,000 speakers of the language in Bengaluru so its hard for movies to get a long run in theatres.