Rishab Shetty shares frustration over lack of support from OTT platforms towards Kannada 'Festival Films'; says, 'They don't buy Kannada films'

Rishab Shetty

Actor Rishab Shetty recently garnered immense recognition by winning the Best Actor award at the 70th National Film Awards. However, during a press conference held to celebrate this achievement, the actor expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of Kannada cinema, particularly when it comes to "festival films" and the lack of support from OTT platforms.

In his candid address to the media, Shetty shared his frustrations about the challenges he faces in promoting good content that encourages a specific kind of cinema. He emphasised that despite premiering these films at festivals and winning accolades, they struggle to find a platform for wider distribution.

"We premiere at festivals and win awards, but we do not get any platform for that. OTT platforms do not buy Kannada content, so we are forced to put it on YouTube channels. I am done with that. We don't get any recovery from such films," Shetty stated.

The actor, who gained mass appeal and critical acclaim with his film Kantara, revealed that his decision to step away from making such festival films was influenced by the performance of his past projects.

He mentioned that while he has a couple more films in the pipeline, including Pedro and Vagachipani, which he produced out of love for cinema, he is now re-evaluating his future projects. "Films gave me everything. I wanted to give something back to it. I think I am going to see how it goes in the future," he added.

Despite his frustrations, Shetty expressed immense gratitude for his National Award win, particularly for the success of Kantara. He humbly credited the entire team behind the film, emphasising that their collective efforts made the film what it is today.

"I just do my work, but *Kantara's* win should go to every team member involved in it. I am just a face of it, but there were a lot of technicians who gave their best for the film. I want to thank the people on their behalf," Shetty said.

Acknowledging the role of the Kannada audience in Kantara's success, Shetty noted that their unwavering support helped elevate the film to a pan-India status.

In a statement released shortly after winning the award, Shetty also expressed his gratitude to the Gods for his achievements, thanking everyone who contributed to the film, including Hombale Films, the production house behind Kantara.

Looking ahead, Shetty is currently working on Kantara 2, which will serve as a prequel to his 2022 hit. Titled Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1, the film, written and directed by Shetty, is expected to hit screens next year.