Delayed, not denied
The prolonged wait for big-star Kannada movies has left fans worried. Filmmakers share reasons why...
Kannada lm bu s and theatre owners in Karnataka have often complained about the lack of frequent releases of big-star movies. The industry is currently awaiting Upendra’s UI, Dhruva Sarja’s Martin, and Duniya
Vijay’s Bheema. The delay has been longer than usual, say frustrated fans. However, is it fair to demand more than one movie from each star in a year?
“It’s not an easy task to achieve,” opines Lahari Velu, director of Lahari Recording Company, co-producer of UI. “We are producing something extraordinary, and that takes time,” he adds.
Launched in June 2022, UI has been in production for close to two years now. Upendra, back to direction after Uppi 2 in 2015, released a teaser without visuals on September 18, 2023. The gimmicky move was typical of his quirky ways to generate buzz around his movies. He followed it up with Troll Song, and while the promotional content has worked to an extent, the makers haven’t been able to lock a release date.
“The movie is VFX-heavy, and it requires extensive work. People won’t come to theatres if you give them just good content. They need something more. We promise world-class quality with UI,” says Lahari.
“Witness the madness,” reads the teaser of Martin, released in February, 2023. The visuals show a bulked-up Dhruva Sarja in the middle of high-octane stunt sequences. The lm has been in production for more than two-and-a-half years, leaving fans and industry insiders puzzled. When, exactly, will they witness the madness?
Recently, the lm’s director A P Arjun posted on X that reports his rift with producer Uday K Mehta were false. “All my lms so far were wrapped up in 120 days whereas we have shot the stunt sequences of Martin in those many days. Hence, you can imagine the scale of the movie,” says Arjun, adding the lm’s high-end CG work is causing the delay.
Wait for updates
The most anticipated announcement from the Kannada lm industry took place on December 8, 2023, when
Yash said he would be starring in Geetu Mohandas’ big-budget
lm, Toxic. It took the KGF star more than one and a half years to reveal his next. The wait was agonising for fans, with the hashtag ‘Yash 19’ trending on social media multiple times. When Toxic hits the screens on April 10, 2025, it will end Yash’s three-year absence on the big screen.
Sudeep is also busy wrapping up an actioner, titled Max, directed by debutant Vijay Karthikeya. Fans expressed disappointment when he was seen competing in celebrity cricket leagues when they needed him to be more involved in lms. Sudeep put out a post on his X account in February. “Updates will come when the team has something concrete to announce. Max is shaping up well and it’s our top priority to give the best results,” he wrote.
Ground realities
Veteran producer Jayanna of the Jayanna-Bhogendra duo explains how the budgets of star lms have changed drastically. The producer duo bankrolled two blockbusters — Gajakesari and Mr and Mrs Ramachari — in 2014. “We produced six hits with Yash in just two-and-a-half years. We made Gajakesari with ₹7 crore and Mr and Mrs Ramachari for ₹8 crore. These lms did great at the box-o ce. But today, the remuneration of stars and technicians has gone up due to the pan-India wave,” he says.
Filmmakers are struggling to seal pre-release deals, forcing them to delay the theatrical release of their projects. “Earlier, a lm team earned maximum revenue from theatres. Today, the success percentage at theatres has taken a huge beating. Filmmakers depend on OTT and television rights. However, the streaming platforms are hesitant to buy Kannada projects due to less number of people subscribing and watching Kannada content online,” Jayanna says.