HYDERABAD: If Baahubali had set a benchmark impossible to beat in the near future, it was due to digital technology. If digital technology hogs the limelight for its success, it’s because of people like Kotha Basi Reddy, the man who introduced it into the movie making in India in 2003. He brought Digital Colour Grading Equipment (Base Light) from London. He and his colleague CV Rao (now the Baahubali fame for graphics and post production) got trained in London.
Referred as Digital King in the industry, his company Digiquest has been among the pioneers in digital filmmaking in India.Equipped with his own production studio, the city-based Digiquest Academy nurtures students in digital film making. “We worked for more than 400 films, Magadheera, Baahubali 1 & 2, Eega, Kick, Katamarayudu, Soggade Chinni Nayana and Oosaravelli, regarding digital production till date, the record not many can boast of in India today,” informs Radhakrishna, a long time associate of Reddy. Reddy was one of the promoters of Cyient. He worked for the organisation in the USA. He left his cushy job in the US, came back to set up a Digital Studio and Training Academy.
“There was a lot of resistance. I struggled to push the digital technology in filmmaking. I suffered a massive financial loss. I took the burden of educating people about the benefits of it. Now I feel jubilant that digital technology is behind most of the films made. It is mission accomplished and satisfying”, says Basi Reddy. I reached out to all film industries – Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Marathi, Oriya, Hindi and even Bengal Film industry, informs Basi Reddy, in a chat with the media.
After fighting for 14 years, Reddy won the battle. “Now everyone uses digital technology,” said, CV RAO, GM, Post Production, Annapurna Studios, who has long time association with Reddy.
He is part of the CII think tank and national media and entertainment committee member. He along with others founded AVCGI - Animation, VFX, Comic & Gaming Industry of Telangana, a nonprofit association formulated for the artists, by the artists, of the artists. Its aim is to rope in the animation, visual effects, comic, and gaming industry under one roof.
Digiquest, the studio set up by Reddy, has spent years working hard to promote digital film technology to the Indian film industry. “We pride ourselves on being the first to bring in digital technology to India. We have scripted a new page in the history of India cinema by transforming from analog to digital”, he informs.
“I love digital technology. I have a dream to produce an Oscar Award winning movie. That is my life goal. We are currently planning on that project,” Reddy shares his thoughts about his life ambition.
These unprecedented records of Baahubali can’t just be attributed to one factor. It owes this grand success to many elements says, K Basi Reddy. Baahubali is the costliest Indian film ever made. 90 percent of the VFX of this movie is done in India and most of it in Hyderabad, which is a great achievement, he observes.
“My ultimate vision is to make Hyderabad a world class digital film and entertainment hub. And Bahubali success adds to my mission,” he adds with conviction.
There is a lot of fascination for the ‘wood’ suffix in the film industry. We have many industries – Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood, Sandalwood, Mollywood, Gollywood, Pollywood, Ollywood and why not we not “Hyderwood.”
Tollywood is the name given for the Telugu Cinema. But it is used for Bengali cinema as well. Technically, Tollywood refers to Bengali film industry as Bengali Cinema is based in Tolly Gunj, a place in Kolkata and hence the name – Tollywood. Since Bahubali brought a good reputation for Hyderabad and Telugu Film industry, I propose “Hyderwood.” We must all work to popularise it, he says.Perhaps it is time for the industry to rename and reinvent itself!