​Exclusive! Children opt for adult's content because there aren't enough films for them, says Kurangu Pedal director Kamalakannan

Director Kamalakannan Subramanian's Kurangu Pedal was one among the three Tamil films (Kida and Jai Bhim were the other two) that were recently screened at the Indian Panorama section of the 53rd International Film Festival of India, Goa. Kurangu Pedal revolves around a boy's journey of learning to ride a bicycle during the summer vacation. It is the director's first attempt at making a children's film. In a chat with OTTplay, the director explains why there is a dearth of children's films and why we need to make more of them

"I would categorise children's films into two - the ones that are made for them and the other, made on them. Among the two, the films that are made on them are very sparse. When was the last time we saw a film like Children of Heaven? A film like that comes once in a blue moon in regional languages. The Tamil Nadu government had recently passed a directive to screen children's films in school, but the sad part is that there aren't many movies to screen for them on a regular basis. When children do not have films that connect with them, they automatically opt for content made for adults."

So, why are children's films not made often? "Making a children's film is grueling, risky and tedious. You need to shed all your ego, unlearn, get down to their level and think like them. But at the same time, you need to think five years ahead. If you do not update yourself, you will get exposed in front of them. Today, children have easy access to content in the form of a mobile phone. If they think you are going to educate them, they will avoid you."

Kamalakannan adds that there is a perception that since children's films are not star-driven, they may not rake in the moolah at the box office. "But I believe that children's films have a huge market. Because if a child wants to see a movie, he or she cannot go to the theatre alone. They have to be accompanied by their parents or elders in the family. But the decision is the child's. Advertising or marketing campaigns follow the same strategy and target most of their products at children. That's because if a child decides to buy something, then parents mostly adhere to the decision.

With children surrounded by technology today, presenting the film in an appealing manner is the biggest challenge as attention span is less. They have a wide variety of content, and if they do not get good cinema, they will consume other content."