Kannada cinema in 2024: Controversies and comebacks

The Kannada film industry was hit by the controversy around actor Darshan’s arrest. After some underwhelming affairs and flops such as ‘Martin’, Sandalwood witnessed a turnaround with some fresh stories and box office hits from yesteryear stars such as Upendra’s ‘UI’ and Sudeep’s ‘Max’

Having endured a deathly silence in the first half of 2024, the Sandalwood box office came alive in the latter half of the year. Theatre owners had reason to cheer in the last week of December as the lure of watching big stars drew fans to Upendra’s UI and Sudeep’s Max.In an interesting year, the Kannada film industry saw the emergence of fresh talent, especially in the direction department. However, the industry suffered from age-old inconsistency as some anticipated films tanked at the box office.

The industry welcomed 2024 with the stupendous success of Darshan’s Kaatera. Released on the last Friday of 2023, Tharun Sudhir’s rural action drama became a massive blockbuster, collecting ₹200 crore and selling over one crore tickets. 

Having turned his fortunes around after a dud like Kranti, Darshan was expected to soar, but the superstar’s career came to a halt when he got arrested in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy in June. The incident sent shockwaves in the industry and rattled producers who had invested money in the actor. Even though Darshan got released on bail after a six-month stint in jail, it remains to be seen how soon the actor will revive his career with pending projects.

The buzz soon shifted from Darshan’s arrest to Dhruva Sarja’s Martin, as the much-anticipated movie ended up a colossal mess. The film’s producer cried foul, blaming orchestrated attacks on his movie, and was involved in a row with YouTubers who panned the movie with negative reviews.

Martin joined the list of movies that promised more and delivered less. Veteran filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat failed to weave his magic in Karataka Dhamanaka, starring Shivarajkumar and Prabhu Deva. Meanwhile, Yuva, the debut of Yuva Rajkumar, son of actor Raghavendra Rajkumar, was a forgettable affair.

The industry was reeling in the aftermath of underwhelming films such as Bachelor Party, Avatara Purusha 2, Kotee, Powder, and Pepe when Bheema hit theatres in August. Duniya Vijay, who directed and starred in the action thriller, put the industry back on track with his second directorial, propelled by extensive marketing and hit songs. Ganesh, Vijay’s contemporary, brought back the family crowd to theatres with Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi, a romantic comedy marked with melodious numbers.

Audiences lapped up Srii Murali’s superhero movie Bagheera, a fresh attempt in the industry, and the prequel Bhairathi Ranagal, starring Shivarajkumar. Upendra’s Ui, a political commentary mounted on a huge scale, and Sudeep’s action thriller Max carried the momentum to ensure the industry wrapped up the year on a high.