Even before its release, the film Teenage, directed by Shrikanth HR, starring his son ‘Master’ Kishan has two records to its name. One is a Guinness World Record and another entry in the Limca Book of Records. It is set to have another feather in the cap on the day of its release next month. It will become the first Kannada film to be simultaneously released online and as in-flight entertainment on the same day.
The film will release either on July 12 or 19. The same day, Zingreel, a company which has released half a dozen Telugu and a couple of Tamil movies on the Internet as streaming video, will release Teenage. The film will become the first Kannada film to be thus released for viewing as a streaming video on the same day it is released in theatres in Kannada. However, only outside India can watch the film either on their computers or home theatres connected to the Internet. Director Shrikanth said it is because the distribution and satellite telecast rights for India would have been sold separately and the Internet release should not interfere with these rights.
On the same day of the release, the film will also be available as in-flight entertainment in all international flights of foreign airlines operating out of India. A few years ago, Shrikanth had launched an initiative to get Kannada films in international flights as inflight entertainment. Prem’s Excuse Me had become the first such Kannada film.
A few days before the release, an online premiere of the film will also be held. A select group of people from 21 different countries will get to watch Teenage through streaming video. This will be the first such premiere for a Kannada film. Shrikanth says enough precaution has been taken to prevent piracy.
For the record, the other records held by Teenage include shooting an entire song underwater (Limca Record) and a Guinness Record for 15,122 youth simultaneously dancing for a song in the film.
In the last couple of years, the market for Kannada films as streaming video has slowly opened up. It started with director Pawan Kumar setting up the website Home Talkies which released his film Lifeu Ishtene. After that dozens of films have been released this way with audience from across the world paying in US dollars to watch the films. But no film had been released on the same day of its release in Karnataka. Even now, Kannada films lack a market outside India. Sale of distribution rights for Kannada films outside India is almost non-existent though Malayalam and Marathi films sell their overseas rights.
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