<p>They had little to cheer this Sankranti and Ganesh Chaturthi but Kannada movie buffs are gearing up for a grand Dasara. On October 14, Sandalwood will witness a big box-office clash two action dramas as Sudeep’s ‘Kotigobba 3’ takes on Duniya Vijay’s ‘Salaga’.</p>.<p>For the Kannada film industry (KFI), which has had a poor presence in the theatre and OTT spaces since the pandemic, this development is something to show for. The big-ticket month will end with Shivarajkumar’s fantasy-action flick ‘Bhajarangi 2’ hitting the screens on October 29.</p>.<p>Makers of marquee films avoid locking horns with each other. The situation could have been avoided had ‘Bhajarangi 2’ picked a release date in November, say producers of both the films.</p>.<p>“I requested Jayanna (producer of ‘Bhajarangi 2’) to change his decision as we producers had planned to give every film exclusive theatrical window. But he didn’t budge. It’s a festive month and we all waited too long for full occupancy at cinema halls. I had no other option,” Soorappa Babu, producer of ‘Kotigobba 3’, told <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span> on Sunday.</p>.<p>Clashes are inevitable, said the senior producer. “In 2001, the industry mocked me when I released Vishnuvardhan’s ‘Kotigobba’ opposite Kamal Haasan’s ‘Alavandhan’. My film became a blockbuster while the Tamil movie bombed,” he said.</p>.<p>KP Srikanth, producer of ‘Salaga’, echoed Babu’s thoughts. “In 2015, when ‘Baahubali’ was around, the Kannada film ‘RangiTaranga’ became a blockbuster. It all boils down to good content,” he said. “No big Tamil or Telugu film is releasing that week so that’s an advantage,” he added.</p>.<p>Babu said there is no rivalry between the two. “Srikanth is like my brother. He is one of the smartest producers in the industry today,” he said.</p>.<p>Theatres owners, who faced the brunt of the pandemic, are happy to see star films back in picture. It’s obvious which of the two heroes enjoys a better fan following. Social media erupted soon after the announcements.</p>.<p>“Sudeep has wished us good right from the beginning. Don’t engage in fan wars,” Vijay requested fans.</p>
<p>They had little to cheer this Sankranti and Ganesh Chaturthi but Kannada movie buffs are gearing up for a grand Dasara. On October 14, Sandalwood will witness a big box-office clash two action dramas as Sudeep’s ‘Kotigobba 3’ takes on Duniya Vijay’s ‘Salaga’.</p>.<p>For the Kannada film industry (KFI), which has had a poor presence in the theatre and OTT spaces since the pandemic, this development is something to show for. The big-ticket month will end with Shivarajkumar’s fantasy-action flick ‘Bhajarangi 2’ hitting the screens on October 29.</p>.<p>Makers of marquee films avoid locking horns with each other. The situation could have been avoided had ‘Bhajarangi 2’ picked a release date in November, say producers of both the films.</p>.<p>“I requested Jayanna (producer of ‘Bhajarangi 2’) to change his decision as we producers had planned to give every film exclusive theatrical window. But he didn’t budge. It’s a festive month and we all waited too long for full occupancy at cinema halls. I had no other option,” Soorappa Babu, producer of ‘Kotigobba 3’, told <span class="italic"><em>DH</em></span> on Sunday.</p>.<p>Clashes are inevitable, said the senior producer. “In 2001, the industry mocked me when I released Vishnuvardhan’s ‘Kotigobba’ opposite Kamal Haasan’s ‘Alavandhan’. My film became a blockbuster while the Tamil movie bombed,” he said.</p>.<p>KP Srikanth, producer of ‘Salaga’, echoed Babu’s thoughts. “In 2015, when ‘Baahubali’ was around, the Kannada film ‘RangiTaranga’ became a blockbuster. It all boils down to good content,” he said. “No big Tamil or Telugu film is releasing that week so that’s an advantage,” he added.</p>.<p>Babu said there is no rivalry between the two. “Srikanth is like my brother. He is one of the smartest producers in the industry today,” he said.</p>.<p>Theatres owners, who faced the brunt of the pandemic, are happy to see star films back in picture. It’s obvious which of the two heroes enjoys a better fan following. Social media erupted soon after the announcements.</p>.<p>“Sudeep has wished us good right from the beginning. Don’t engage in fan wars,” Vijay requested fans.</p>