Himalayathile Kashmalan faces an uphill battle; is this how we treat newbies?

Behind every movie, be it a big or small budget project, there exist many stories of struggles, rejections and hard work of people who only dream of cinema. But if a movie lacks the presence of leading actors and is produced by a new banner, it fails to get recognised among the audience.

Malayalam movie Himalayathile Kashmalan starring 52 newcomers was released on July 29 in Kerala. Despite not having a huge star cast, Abhiram Suresh Unnithan's directorial venture opened to a fabulous response from the audience and recorded an opening day business of Rs 12 lakh from just 38 screens across the state. However, fate was against the team of Himalayathile Kashmalan as they lost second-day business as BJP had declared a state-wide hartal on July 30.

Check: Have you watched this interesting motion poster of Himalayathile Kashmalan?

The makers have been facing hard times as the exhibitors are refusing to give prime-time slot (6 pm or 9 pm) for the movie in the theatres. The movie was screened at 7.30 pm only at Ariesplex SL Cinemas in Thiruvananthapuram. 

Also check: HK trailer is a hit online

"Most of the theatre owners are claiming that it is newcomers' movie. We released the movie on Saturday and it was hartal on Sunday. Who will watch the movie at 10 am on weekdays? Viewers can watch it only after coming back from work," Chandhunadh G, the actor who appears as Jose in Himalayathile Kashmalan told International Business Times, India.

Watch the trailer of Himalayathile Kashmalan here:

So, does that mean movies with newcomers always face trouble?

Not really. Recently, Lijo Jose Pellissery's crime drama Angamaly Diaries featured as many as 86 debutants. And it made history with many international critics reviewing it. The movie garnered a stupendous response from day one at the box office, thanks to the positive feedback the director received for his previous movies and most importantly, it is the production venture of popular production house Friday Film House, which has bankrolled many blockbusters.

Similarly, the film Aanandam had seven newcomers in lead roles and was the debut directorial venture of Ganesh Raj. The movie made wonders at the box office, being the debut production venture of singer-actor-director Vineeth Sreenivasan, under the banner of Habit Of Life.

Thus, it clearly explains that in the current scenerio, star value and a good backing play a major role in a movie to become blockbuster even if it has a unique and interesting storyline.

So, what about newcomers? Is this how we support them?

Getting into cinema itself is a tough task, and we have often heard of the struggles many prominent directors and actors have faced in their life to become established as they are today. Many could make a mark in the industry only after begging for chances and wasting many years. When such newcomers finally get a chance to prove their talent, isn't it the responsiblity of film associations, theatre owners and the audeince to support them?