Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Kona Venkat Calls Budget-Wasting Directors ‘Criminals’
Kona Venkat says some film directors shoot much more footage than they need.
Later, editors remove a lot of it.
He says this can waste the producer’s money, along with people’s time and work.
Venkat believes directors should plan better and know what they want to show before filming starts.
He praised Bobby, Harish Shankar and Shiva Nirvana for being organized.
He said Shiva Nirvana filmed nearly 70% of Ninnu Kori in the USA in 31 days.
Venkat thinks careful planning can help control film costs.
He also said unnecessary spending should not be excused as creative freedom.
Writer and producer Kona Venkat criticized directors who shoot excessive footage and discard much of it during editing.
He said poor planning and unclear creative goals can waste producers’ money, as well as time and effort.
Venkat questioned films shot for more than three hours and later cut to around two hours.
He praised Bobby, Harish Shankar and Shiva Nirvana for planning carefully and keeping shoots on schedule.
As an example, he said nearly 70% of Ninnu Kori was filmed in the USA in 31 days with a 35-member unit.
- Who
- Writer and producer Kona Venkat, discussing directors’ production practices.
- What
- He criticized directors who overshoot budgets and film excessive footage that is later discarded.
- When
- Not specified in the article.
- Where
- The film industry; Venkat’s example of Ninnu Kori’s filming was in the USA.
- Why
- He says poor planning and lack of clarity can waste producers’ money, time and effort.
- Speaker
- Kona Venkat, writer and producer
- Criticism
- Excessive filming followed by substantial cuts during editing
- Runtime example
- Films shot for over three hours and cut to around two hours
- Directors praised
- Bobby, Harish Shankar and Shiva Nirvana
- Film cited
- Ninnu Kori
- Filming details cited
- Nearly 70% of Ninnu Kori was filmed in the USA in 31 days with a 35-member unit
- Venkat’s proposed remedy
- Better planning and greater clarity before filming