‘Baahubali 2’ will not be banned in Karnataka

Pro-Kannada groups on Saturday called off their protest against the release of Baahubali 2 after actor Sathyaraj expressed regret over remarks made during the Cauvery row nine years ago.

“We accept the regret expressed by Sathyaraj and have decided to drop our protests. We have also withdrawn the call for Bengaluru bandh [strike] on April 28,” said Vatal Nagaraj, who spearheaded the Kannada Okoota, an umbrella organisation of Kannada bodies.

Sathyaraj plays Kattappa in the movie franchise.

The decision paves the way for the release of the second part of the epic fantasy, which the groups had threatened to stall if their demand of an “unconditional apology” from Sathyaraj was not met.

The controversy began after a video in which Sathyaraj made alleged antiKannada comments in the context of the Cauvery river water row surfaced a fortnight ago and went viral.

The southern Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are locked in a bitter row over the sharing of water Sathyaraj in Baahubali. from the river Cauvery.

Nagaraj said the Kannada groups had no grouse against director S.S. Rajamouli or the film, but were “outraged over cheap comments” made against Karnataka and its people by Sathyaraj.

He said since Sathyaraj had expressed regret, they did not want to press the issue any further.

Nagaraj, however, warned that if Sathyaraj tried to provoke Kannadigas again, his movies will not be allowed to release in Karnataka.

Nagaraj said there were reports that Kannada films were not being allowed to be screened in Tamil Nadu.

“If these reports are true, we will stop the screening of Tamil films and Tamil TV channels,” he said.

Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce President and Kannada activist Sa Ra Govindu said he had verified with the South Indian film chamber about reports that Kannada films were not being allowed to be screened in Tamil Nadu and he was told that they were not correct.