Action-packed October awaits Kannada box office

They had little to cheer this Sankranti and Ganesh Chaturthi but Kannada movie buffs are gearing up for a grand Dasara. On October 14, Sandalwood will witness a big box-office clash two action dramas as Sudeep’s ‘Kotigobba 3’ takes on Duniya Vijay’s ‘Salaga’.

For the Kannada film industry (KFI), which has had a poor presence in the theatre and OTT spaces since the pandemic, this development is something to show for. The big-ticket month will end with Shivarajkumar’s fantasy-action flick ‘Bhajarangi 2’ hitting the screens on October 29.

Makers of marquee films avoid locking horns with each other. The situation could have been avoided had ‘Bhajarangi 2’ picked a release date in November, say producers of both the films.

“I requested Jayanna (producer of ‘Bhajarangi 2’) to change his decision as we producers had planned to give every film exclusive theatrical window. But he didn’t budge. It’s a festive month and we all waited too long for full occupancy at cinema halls. I had no other option,” Soorappa Babu, producer of ‘Kotigobba 3’, told DH on Sunday.

Clashes are inevitable, said the senior producer. “In 2001, the industry mocked me when I released Vishnuvardhan’s ‘Kotigobba’ opposite Kamal Haasan’s ‘Alavandhan’. My film became a blockbuster while the Tamil movie bombed,” he said.

KP Srikanth, producer of ‘Salaga’, echoed Babu’s thoughts. “In 2015, when ‘Baahubali’ was around, the Kannada film ‘RangiTaranga’ became a blockbuster. It all boils down to good content,” he said. “No big Tamil or Telugu film is releasing that week so that’s an advantage,” he added.

Babu said there is no rivalry between the two. “Srikanth is like my brother. He is one of the smartest producers in the industry today,” he said.

Theatres owners, who faced the brunt of the pandemic, are happy to see star films back in picture. It’s obvious which of the two heroes enjoys a better fan following. Social media erupted soon after the announcements.

“Sudeep has wished us good right from the beginning. Don’t engage in fan wars,” Vijay requested fans.