On a Monday afternoon, several shows in Bengaluru were filling fast for the Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer Maa Inti Bangaaram. The Telugu film is reported to have crossed ₹50 crore at the worldwide box office. This kind of response on the first weekday after the opening weekend is something any Kannada hero would give his right arm for.
The question of why Kannada has fewer female-led movies has no clear answer, as the industry continues to underutilise several gifted female performers. “I see fewer stories from a woman’s perspective in Kannada. I continue to see macho protagonists,” actor-politician Ramya had often expressed her concern.
The star gap
The relatively small pool of stars in Kannada cinema, compared to other film industries, has added to the challenges faced by an industry that has endured several setbacks in recent years. “It’s like the Tenali Raman and the cat story,” director Tharun Sudhir tells The Hindu. “Similarly, the industry consistently produced poor content, leading several film buffs to lose trust in Kannada movies.”
Compared to their Telugu counterparts, Kannada stars have had long gaps between their projects. Yash, who last starred in KGF: Chapter 2 in 2022, will be making his big-screen return after more than four years with Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups on August 26, 2026. Rakshit Shetty has not announced his next project after featuring in Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side B in 2023. There will be no Sudeep release in 2026.
Young actors struggle for support
Mango Pachcha, the debut of actor Sanchith Sanjeev, nephew of superstar Kichcha Sudeep, had all the ingredients of an engaging crime drama. “Throughout the movie, we were conscious that we would not show any scene that makes me look like a star,” Sanchith tells The Hindu. Yet the movie failed to attain box office success.
Peddi, starring Ram Charan, released on the same day as Mango Pachcha, enjoyed good footfall despite mixed reviews. Ram Charan has done two movies after his global success of RRR (2022). His co-star Jr NTR has also done two movies since then. Their Dragon, with KGF director Prashanth Neel, is set for 2027.
The pan-India chase and its failures
The success of the KGF and Kantara films helped Kannada filmmakers access a wider market. “But did we utilise the platform set by those movies? No,” says director Suri.
There was a noticeable rush among producers to chase the pan-India trend, often funding mediocre scripts in the process. Dhruva Sarja failed, delivering three forgettable movies: Pogaru, Martin, and KD. Upendra’s attempt with Kabzaa and UI did not yield the expected results.
The Puneeth Rajkumar void
Filmmakers unanimously accept that the passing of Puneeth Rajkumar has dealt a huge blow to the industry. “His movies gave the vibe of a wholesome family drama that the entire household would not want to miss,” opines Suri.
Malayalam vs Kannada on OTT
Amid a low turnout for Kannada movies, Vijay Raghavendra’s Second Case of Seetharam has crossed 150 million streaming minutes on Prime Video. This is a welcome development, especially with platforms such as Netflix and Prime Video not open to Kannada originals.
“OTT platforms have shown me the data of people from Karnataka watching Malayalam content over anything else,” points out Tharun. Malayalam thrillers are red-hot favourites for binge-watchers on OTT. With no cushion of a sure-shot OTT deal, Kannada directors are left with the option of achieving theatrical success.
What Kannada cinema needs
Swaroop Kodur, film writer, says relatability goes a long way in shaping stardom. “To be a superstar takes a journey. The audience should feel that he or she is a homegrown talent. For Yash, Kirathaka (2011) was a game-changer.”
“Every time a film of his came out, Yash never limited himself to acting. He gave the impression that he was building his career from scratch. It’s time stars take up more responsibility and take their reputation seriously,” he adds.
A star with a difference
Rangayana Raghu’s reinvention as a character-driven lead actor (Shakhahaari, Agnyathavasi) is a big plus for filmmakers who want to create memorable movies with gifted actors who aren’t conventional stars.
“Raghu sir has created an interest in his performance through his successful stint as a comedian for decades. Now, he is stepping into a new phase, playing the main character. He is capable of bringing value to unique scripts, and that’s a quality of a star, according to me,” says Nagaraja Somayaji, a one-film-old filmmaker whose next with Rangayana Raghu, Devi Mahatme, has created buzz.
