Kannada cinema in 2023 so far: Over 100 films, zero blockbusters

Several films in 2022, such as KGF: Chapter 2, Kantara, 777 Charlie, and Vikrant Rona, promised a new chapter in the history of Kannada cinema as they brought much-needed visibility to the industry. While it’s unfair to expect an exact repeat of a remarkable year, the industry’s slump in form has indeed happened sooner than expected.

Since the sensational hit Kantara, which came out on September 29, there hasn’t been a single blockbuster film in Kannada. With just one box-office success from over 100 films, it’s a telling sign that the industry has failed to capitalise on the momentum set by the marquee films of 2022.

Kannada began 2023 in pan-India mode, but the failures of Kranti and Kabzaa exposed the perils of blind following of a freshly-successful genre. Kranti, announced as a pan-Indian film for the sake of it, was a generic star vehicle starring Darshan and Rachita Ram. The makers — who were sidelined by television media during the film’s promotions owing to a controversy — went all out, by giving interviews to more than 100 YouTube channels; but no amount of publicity could save V Harikrishna’s ordinary film. 

R Chandru’s Kabzaa was a clear-cut move to cash in the popularity of the pan-India model. The makers saw the film more as a business strategy than a creative expression. How else can one explain the casting of Sudeep in an insignificant role and Shivarajkumar in one scene? Starring Upendra in the lead, the gangster drama failed to offer a KGF-like experience.  

Perhaps upset by the industry’s false promises, Kannada filmgoers shifted their attention to attractions like the Indian Premier League and the assembly elections. The deathly silence inside cinema halls pushed theatre owners to the walls. Many single screens displayed ‘No Show’ boards outside their premises while some remained shut for a week owing to the terrible footfall.

“Theatre owners are experiencing losses. They are paying employees, hoping the situation will change soon,” says Muthappa R, manager of Bengaluru’s popular single screen Kamakya. “Big heroes should do at least two films a year. One film will not benefit theatre owners. Theatres will shut down if they don’t do more films,” he says, adding that films releasing on streaming platforms within a month of their release are affecting exhibitors.

Jaggesh in ‘Raghavendra Stores’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Two underwhelming products from Hombale Films — the crowd-pulling machine of the industry in 2022 — added salt to injury. Raghavendra Stores was a hotchpotch Jaggesh film which opened well, but failed to live up to its box-office expectations. Dhoomam, a Malayalam film, had Kannada technicians and was helmed by Pawan Kumar, the poster boy of Kannada cinema’s new-generation movement. Notwithstanding a reliable Fahadh Faasil in the lead, the film was dismissed as dated and unexciting by film buffs and critics alike.

Industry insiders feel that, right now, people are more keen on watching pure entertainers, than films that engage but also take on a relevant topic. Gurudev Hoysala and 19.20.21 discussed social issues. While the former was a gripping cop story that addressed caste discrimination, the latter upheld the Constitution while presenting a hard-hitting retelling of a student wrongly accused as a terrorist.

A still from ‘19.20.21’
| Photo Credit:
Lahari Music/YouTube

“The Kannada audiences are hesitant to pay to watch serious films,” says Mansore, the director of 19.20.21. Cine-goers, influenced by popular big-budget films last year, sidelined small-scale yet interesting attempts such as the musical drama Orchestra Mysuru and the coming-of-age drama Hondisi Bareyiri.

Mansore deciphers this behaviour from the audience. “Life has become expensive post the pandemic. Watching films has become expensive. If you have to get people to theatres, then it must be an extraordinary effort that entertains the family,” says the directors, who also point out how films are being oversold to people. “During promotions, filmmakers exaggerate their product. When films fail to live up to their hype, they impact smaller films as people begin to lose trust in movies in general,” he adds.

The whodunit Shivaji Surathkal 2 was a decent follow-up to the 2020 Ramesh Aravind-starrer before debutant Shashank Soghal’s debut Daredevil Musthafa offered consolation to the industry. Based on Poornachandra Tejaswi’s short story, the film didn’t rattle the box-office, but did well enough to provide hope for newcomers. The film about religious harmony managed to entice family crowds back to cinema halls.

“I worked for Orchestra Mysuru in the marketing team. We thought it would do well, but people’s response was shocking. The theatres were empty on the second day itself,” says Shashank.

Director Shashank Soghal
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Somebody from the industry told us that not even 5000 people are watching Kannada films in theatres this year. We were desperate for success. Every week, every day, we went to theatres. That helped a lot. Our movie was good, we were parallelly promoting it in creative ways, and the government made it tax-free. So the film was in the news every week,” he says of his film’s 50-day run.

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After a dull six months, the jam-packed schedule is a boon and a bane for the industry. “It always happens that either films come back to back, or there are no marquee titles for ages, leaving theatres empty for four to five months,” says Suhas, lease owner of the single screen Chandrodaya. “In this kind of atmosphere, if there is a sign of a film taking off slowly after impressive word-of-mouth, even such projects will struggle for screens,” he adds.

However, the second half of 2023 looks promising for Kannada film buffs. Hostel Huduguru Bekagidare, a college comedy made by newcomers, could be a dark horse akin to Daredevil Musthafa. The maverick Raj B Shetty’s Toby seems to be an intense action drama. Rakshit Shetty’s two-part Sapta Sagaradaache Ello is a highly-anticipated romantic drama, and Shivarajkumar’s Ghost could be tailor-made for his fans. Even as a bright period looms ahead, the Kannada film industry continues to be affected by its biggest problem: inconsistency.