The Hindu Business Line : Karnataka Bank forays into film, TV software financing

KARNATAKA Bank Ltd, the traditional old private sector bank, has ventured into financing film and television software production. The bank is financing `Malgudi Days', the visual media presentation of the works of late R.K. Narayan.

According to sources, the bank has financed around Rs 1.5 crore for the new project being produced by Mr T.S. Narasimhan of Padamrag TV International.

Shooting of episodes based on stories such as `Snake song'; `An astrologer's day'; `Salt and sawdust'; `Four rupees'; `Lawley road'; `Gold belt'; `Neighbour's help'; `Annamalai'; `Dodu'; and the `Doctor's world' have been completed, they said.

The episodes have been shot in Agumbe of Shimoga district in Karnataka.

Shooting for two more short stories followed by a 26-episode `Man eater of Malgudi' will begin soon. `Man eater of Malgudi' will be produced as a 26-episode half-an-hour light entertainment for small screen and as a 35-mm feature film. Ms Kavita Lankesh is the director of the current venture.

Karnataka Bank's foray into film and television software financing is limited.

According to sources, the bank will decide on financing a project on case-to-case basis. All the loans given to film projects will be securitised.

The earlier stories of Malgudi Days such as `Swami and his friends' and others, which were directed by late Shankar Nag, were telecast on Doordarshan's national network during 1986. Though the bank did not finance the production of the serial then, it, however, financed its overseas marketing. Recently, addressing a press conference in Bangalore, Mr Narasimhan had stated that the feature film was not only for commercial release but also aimed at national and international festivals.

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