It's a heady 500-day run for Chaali Polilu

Mangaluru: Come Sunday and Tulu film Chaali Polilu produced under the banner of Jayakirana Films will touch a new mark in its journey of longevity. Having first hit the screens in this coastal district on October 31, 2014, this film on March 13 will touch 500 days of non-stop screening in city's PVR Cinemas. Incidentally, this is the longest that any film has run in this chain of multiplex in Karnataka with Mungaaru Male holding the previous record of 375-days.
Crediting the landmark for the simple story line executed in a planned manner and one that gives a message that there is no shortcut to success is Prakash Pandeshwar, journalist turned producer. Now in the alacrity of his directorial debut with the banner's latest film Dabak Dabak Aisa, Prakash debunked notions that he is keeping the film going for sake of records. "PVR Cinemas has a clear cut policy that decides on screening a films or taking it off," he says.
Vouching for this, Deepak Gangadhar, unit head of PVR Cinemas, says the corporate office takes a call on running a film based on revenue earnings.
"We started the film in larger screen with 262 seats, shifted it to smaller 139 seater and presently are screening it the smaller 79 seater screen," he says adding the average occupancy is 54.31% with weekends going full," he said adding thus far more than 33000 people have watched the movie since it was launched.
Actor Devadas Kapikad, who plays the lead role in the movie says the success of Chaali Polilu when people tend to compare it to big screen version of Tulu drama is heartening. "We have a long way to go in terms of overcoming handicaps that the comedy staple present and striking a balance in terms of giving audiences a more mature subject," he agrees adding efforts are on in this direction. "People at the end of the day want entertainment in Tulu films," he hastens to add.
Deepak shared instances of people's varied interest in this film. "A father discharged from a hospital made his son bring him in a wheelchair to the multiplex so that he could watch the film.
A family in their marriage livery headed straight to the theatre leaving the newlyweds behind so that they could watch the film," he says. Prakash chips in saying students of 28 schools have watched the film in groups and a youth from Bantwal has watched it 27 times.