‘For Bollywood, southern cinema main source to adapt content’

New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) As movie buffs get to see a lot of Hindi adaptations of southern films, somewhere it has become the prime source to get new story ideas for Bollywood, feels actress Erica Fernandes, who has worked in both film industries.

She says viewership for southern movies is pleasantly on the rise.

“People are not aware about how big the regional cinema is... We make a lot of films in a year. The southern film industry has a huge fan following," Erica told IANS.

“Somewhere I feel that everything comes from the south. Like Hindi films that people see, are mostly taken from the south. Bollywood takes them as their main source to adapt content,” added the actress, who has appeared in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films like “Ainthu Ainthu Ainthu”, “Ninnindale”, “Virattu” and “Galipatam”.

“Audience today has started to accept the southern type of cinema, which is over-the-top... Like if you see the action, drama or cars flying here and there... This has become a trend now.

“In south, because of the audience, filmmakers are restricted when it comes to certain things because the (their) audience may not like certain things. They are very conservative. However, Bollywood is open to doing such things, as they have a very broader region.

"In south, things have started to change now and their people want to see more cinema,” she said.

Erica, who will make her TV debut with forthcoming show “Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi”, says she has always been wanting to appear on the small screen, but doesn't want to do shows which look unreal.

“'Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi' has a very practical approach. It is very real. As this is my debut on TV, I didn't want to start off doing a 'saas-bahu' serial. This is very close to how people react in normal life,” Erica said.

She said that the show is “not at all melodramatic and over-the-top”.

“It's about relationships, family issues, career - things that we focus upon in real life too. I'm playing a Bengali girl, who is a nutritionist based in Delhi,” she said.

So is there any difference between working in films and on TV?

“When you are doing films, you are stuck into that two and a half or three hours timing, in which directors try to show everything. But here (on TV), viewers are seeing you every day. Even if it is for half an hour, but you are coming onscreen everyday.

"Viewers can relate to a lot of things that are happening in the serial,” Erica said, adding that TV gives more opportunities to improve one's work.

“Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi”, which will also feature actors Shaheer Sheikh and Supriya Pilgaonkar, will be aired on Sony Entertainment Television starting February 29.