Kotigobba 3 and Salaga to clash on October 14, Bhajarangi 2 to hit theatres on October 29

Express News Service

This October can be called a month of Kannada cinema celebration as a slew of films will be released on the occasion of Dasara, and the new releases will spill over to the first week of November (for the occasion of Karnataka Rajyotsava and Deepavali). The cinema industry is the most hit field due to the pandemic, but with the falling positivity rate, the government has allowed 100 percent occupancy in theatres. This has led to the release of many big-ticket films this month.

Of all the face-offs in the coming month, the biggest clash at the box office will be Sudeep’s Kotigobba 3 and Duniya Vijay directorial venture Salaga on October 14. Meanwhile, Shivarajkumar-starrer Bhajarangi 2 will release on October 29. Also, Suraj Gowda’s first directorial venture Ninna Sanihake will be released on October 8, and [email protected], directed by Nagashekar, will be released on October 15. CE speaks to directors and producers about their upcoming films and the impact of the clashes of the big releases.

Clash of star films will impact small movies: Suraj
Two big releases on the same date will affect small films, says Ninna Sanihake actor-director Suraj Gowda. “My film is coming on October 8, and after a week, we have two big films releasing on the same date. It becomes hard for small films like mine to hold on to theatres. It would be great if stars’ films have their own week,” says Suraj. Ninna Sanihake will be his first directorial venture of actor Suraj Gowda, which also marks Dhanya Ramkumar’s debut on the silver screen.

I have stuck to my word: Producer Jayanna
Jayanna was the first one to officially announce the release date of Shivarajkumar’s Bhajarangi 2 as October 29.  According to the producer the date was fixed after discussing with the makers of Salaga and Kotigobba 3. “Post government permitting 100 % occupancy, we all discussed the release dates. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Salaga could not be released on October 1 because they needed time for promotions. So, it will now clash with Sudeep’s Kotigobba 3. Producers decided that there should be a two-week gap between two big releases, and I am sticking with this decision. As for the clash of the two big films, it is the decision to be taken by Kotigobba 3 and Salaga producers because my film is not releasing on that date,” says Jayanna. The film, directed by A Harsha under Jayanna Films, also brings back the Tagaru combination of Shivanna and Bhavana on screen for the second time.

We have delayed the release by a day, and now, [email protected] will be releasing on Oct 15: Director Nagashekar
The Director and producer of [email protected] are confident in releasing the film on October 15. Director Nagashekar says that he has pushed the release date by one day, and instead of Oct 14, they are now coming out with [email protected] on Oct 15. “We didn’t want to clash with big films, and so we decided to shift the release date by a day. Since the film is distributed by producer Jayanna, it helped us to fix the number of screens,” says Nagashekar, adding. [email protected], produced by Sandesh Nagaraj, stars Krishna and Bhavana in the lead roles.

I call this a celebration, says Kotigobba 3 producer Surappa Babu
Producer Surappa Babu, who confirmed the release of Kotigobba 3 on October 14, says that he is fine releasing his films along with other big  film like Salaga. “Initially, Salaga was scheduled to release on October 1, and Kotigobba 3 on October 14, and Bhajarangi 2 on October 29. However, the announcement from the government for allowing 100 percent theatre occupancy changed things. The team had very little time for their promotion and development. So, they had no option but to shift the release date to October 14. I could not postpone the date because producer Jaynna has taken the slot. Hence, the film is releasing on the same day,” explains Surappa Babu, who adds, ‘’ I call this a celebration! Talking from experience, I have seen two films coming on the same day and doing well. I don’t want to call this a star war. We are confident that both Kotigobba 3 and Salaga releases will equally be celebrated by the audience. I believe that good content is what rules the box office.”

Two big-ticket films hitting the screens on the same day is not star wars, but healthy competition: K P Sreekanth
Salaga director Duniya Vijay says, “It is not star wars but double celebration. It is a holiday time with Dasara, and we consider it as a celebration time in Sandalwood,” says Duniya Vijay. “We consider this as a healthy competition. We have been waiting for two years to release it, and delaying it further makes no sense,” says the producer KP Sreekanth. Salaga, directed and starring Duniya Vijay, also stars Sanjana Anand as the heroine. The film has Dhananjay playing a pivotal role.