Single, but in no mood to mingle

Multi-starrers are a huge trend in Bollywood, but Kannada film heroes are averse to such projects. Are they insecure about sharing screen space?

Multi-starrer films are de rigeur in Bollywood. Such films are box office winners, so producers ensure a huge star cast to rake in the moolah. But this trend has not caught on in the south Indian film industry, and Sandalwood in particular. Though many producers are ready to pump in money for multi-starrer ventures, heroes are averse to such projects.

"Nothing works like a multi-starrer film. It helps to woo audiences to theatres. Moreover, these movies are seen as value for money now. The audience loves to see different stars sharing screen space. Sandalwood should adopt Bollywood's success formula. Multi-starrers are safe bets and have proved to have a success rate of up to 90 per cent," says director Mahendar.

Win-win formula

Actor-director Ramesh also feels that multi-starrers are a good way to keep the audience happy as they get to see many stars together on screen. But he has a word of caution. "Each character should have a significant role and a reason to be in the film, otherwise the film may fall flat," he says.

"The director has to be very careful while handling such projects. Equal footage has to be given to all stars in the movie. The film should not be an excuse to flaunt the stars. Every star should have a clear cut, well-defined role. One shouldn't give mileage to one star and ignore the other," explains Ramesh.

Producer Rockline Venkatesh says, "Multi starrers are good because the audience gets to see a variety in one film itself. The onus is not on one actor but on the entire team. When there's a huge star cast, the film is assured a grand opening."

"Again, it depends on the stars. It is difficult to convince heroes, who are at the peak of their careers, to accept multi-starrer projects. They agree to such films only when their value in the market falls," he adds.

Venkatesh believes that the onus is on the director and producer to have an exciting script before they approach the stars. "When I approached Upendra and Shivarajkumar for Preethse, they instantly agreed to do the movie as the script was good," he adds.

Multi-starrers serve as a double treat to audiences as they can see different stars and different styles on the same screen. I used to enjoy watching Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna together on screen.
Ramesh Arvind, actor and director

A festive atmosphere prevails when films with big stars are released. Personally, I would love to see more of such movies. Stars should shed their egos and insecurities and accept such projects.
S Mahendar, director

It is difficult to convince heroes, who are at the peak of their careers, to accept multi-starrer projects. They agree to such films only when their value in the market falls.
Rockline Venkatesh, producer