Harish Shankar was there today at a press meet of the movie '2018' in Hyderabad. The critically-acclaimed Malayalam movie is getting a Telugu-dubbed release in theaters this Friday (May 26).
A senior journalist asked producer Bunny Vass of Geetha Arts if a Tollywood director and producer would dare to make such a film. The question was meant to ask if a movie on a natural calamity and how humanism got reflected through rescue operations would ever be made in Telugu. The question was undoubtedly sane. Many audience members and cinephiles have got such a question in mind.
Bunny Vass passed on the question to the 'Ustaad Bhagat Singh' director to answer. Harish Shankar assumed a condescending tone as if he was above answering such a question. He argued that the whole world is looking toward Telugu filmmakers and pitied the journalist!
Harish Shankar needs the humility to acknowledge that only one Telugu director is famous across India. He is the only one who is noted among the Hollywood establishment. He is SS Rajamouli. Sukumar might become nationally famous with 'Pushpa 2' and beyond.
Tollywood is admired for its mass masala movies. It's NOT admired for human stories like '2018'. When it comes to making novel content movies and dramas, Telugu cinema is a laggard. Harish Shankar should have acknowledged it instead of giving a combative answer.
