Baahubali of Digital Film Making in India

Business Wire India | 15 Jun, 2017
If the Baahubali had set a benchmark impossible to beat in the near future, it was due to digital technology. The larger than life waterfalls, the grandiose battle sequences all made possible because of digital technology. The film has shown some of the finest graphics we have ever seen. They have used possible technologies in the movie.

If the Digital Technology hogs the limelight for its success, we need to thank Kotha Basi Reddy, the man who introduced Digital Technology into the Movie Making in India in the year 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.

He brought this equipment with a lot of investment. He is the digital dreamer. He is referred as Digital King in the industry. He is the Father of Digital Cinema. The whole country is now using Digital Film Making Technology now. The company he found, Digiquest is the pioneer in Digital Film Making in India.

Equipped with the own state-of-the-art production studio, the Hyderabad-based Digiquest Academy nurtures students in Digital Film Making. We have produced a lot of films by using digital technology. We served more than 400 films regarding Digital production till date, the record not many can boast of in India today, informs Radhakrishna, a long time associate of K.Basi Reddy. To a name a few include: Magadheera, Baahubali 1 & 2, Eega, Kick, Katamarayudu, Soggade Chinni Nayana, Oosaravelli, Kithakithalu and many other.

Basi Reddy was one of the promoters of CYIENT (the old Infotech Enterprises). He worked for the organization in the USA. He left his comfortable job in the USA. 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 long years, Basi Reddy won the battle. Now everyone uses Digital Technology. When you say Digital, it is Digiquest said, CV RAO, GM, Post Production, Annapurna Studios, who has long time association with Basi Reddy.

Recognizing his visionary thinking and introduction of Digital Technology in India, CII made him part of their think tank and national media and entertainment committee member.

K. Basi Reddy, 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 entire Animation, Visual Effects, Comic, and Gaming industry under one roof.

Digiquest, the studio set up by K. Basi 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", informs K. Basi Reddy.

I like 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, Basi Reddy shared his life ambition.

Commenting on the digital marvel, Baahubali, Basi Reddy said, it is the film of magic realism created by mythology and technology, a good start for our Telugu movies to force ahead It created by magic and Midas touch of the director SS Rajamouli.

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 per cent 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 Baahubali's success adds to my mission, he said.

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 â Tollywood. Since Baahubali brought a good reputation for Hyderabad and Telugu Film industry, I propose "Hyderwood." We must all work to popularize it, said Basi Reddy.