Seldom do we see a box office clash of this magnitude in the Kannada film industry.Come August, the Kannada film industry will see the biggest box office clash in over a decade. Darshan’s mythological drama Kurukshetra and Sudeep’s Pailwaan are set to hit the screens next month around Varalakshmi festival.
While Pailwaan director S Krishna has already confirmed that the film will open in cinemas worldwide on August 9, makers of Kurukshetra are yet to officially announce the release date.
Seldom do we see a box office clash of this magnitude in the Kannada film industry. It’s noteworthy that in 2006, the films of Darshan (Suntaragali) and Sudeep (My Autograph) clashed at the box office for the first time. 13 years later, such a clash is a nightmare for stakeholders. The fact that both Darshan and Sudeep now command a huge fan following in the state, does not make the job easier.
The latest industry buzz is that the producers of Kurukshetra are mulling to advance the release by a week i.e August 2, to allow breathing space for the tent pole films. If that is the case, it would come as a major relief to distributors across the state.
According to reports, distributors are worried about the herculean task of finding equal number of screens for both films.
In the meantime, Darshan has already started promoting Kurukshetra, which is touted to be one of the most expensive films made in Sandalwood. Earlier today, he posted a ‘celebrity challenge’ asking his fans to show their best behaviour while celebrating the movie. “Many people have worked for this film. You should respect others in the film the same way you respect me. You should not fight over my cutouts or posters at the theaters. It is already very difficult to make a movie like Kurukshetra and producer Muniratna Naidu hase done it. Without fighting over small things, please enjoy the film along with your family with a lot of love. This is my challenge to you,” he said while describing his fans as his celebrities.
Its Time For Now Celebrity challenge For My All Fans pic.twitter.com/OtuG5pifNS
— Darshan Thoogudeepa (@dasadarshan) July 2, 2019
The film has a huge star cast, including Ravichandran, Arjun Sarja, Ambareesh, Ravi Shankar, Saikumar, Danish Akhtar Saifi, Sneha and Hariprriya among others. Composer V Harikrishna has scored the music for this magnum opus.
The filmmakers have planned a grand audio release function on July 7.
Pailwaan has also captured the attention of movie buffs, thanks to Sudeep’s ripped body. The star plays a professional fighter in the film based on combat sports. Made on a big budget, it will release in multiple languages simultaneously.
