Kannada cinema poised to cross 220-plus films’ release mark by December 31

But some filmmakers, who strongly believe that year-end releases become blockbusters, have dared to go ahead with their original plan. Their confidence stems from the past successes of films like Yogaraj Bhat’s Mungaru Male (December 29, 2006) and Rishab Shetty’s Kirik Party (December 30, 2016), and Prashanth Neel’s KGF-Chapter 1 (December 21, 2018). But the makers of the much-anticipated Kaatera — the Darshan-starrer, which is stuck at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) — announced on Thursday (December 14) that it will hit the screens as scheduled on December 29. They are leaving no stone unturned to get the Certification before the release.

It seems that Tharun Sudhir and Rockline Venkatesh, the director and producer of the movie, are unfazed by the perceived conventions of Kannada cinema. “We have decided to launch the film on December 29 because the timing is perfect for us. The long weekend and year-end celebrations, ushering in the New Year, will undoubtedly help draw audiences to the screens,” asserts Rockline Venkatesh, who is busy with promotional activities ahead of the film’s release.

Kaatera focuses on the farm sector

Kaatera has an ensemble cast, which includes Darshan, Aradhana (daughter of yesteryear star Malashree, Jagapathi Babu, Vinod Alva, and Kumar Govind. V. Harikrishna has composed music for this film and Sudhakar S Raj and K M Prakash have handled cinematography and editing. It took 22 months for the filmmaker to complete the film from the date of announcement.

According to Venkatesh, the title Kaatera is based on the goddess Kateramma, who is famous in the rural part of Karnataka. Kaatera is a period drama that delineates the plight of agricultural labour. The film is said to be inspired by an incident that happened in the north-Karnataka region, where farmers and farm labourers’ rebelled against the government. However, Sudhir refuses to reveal the storyline and just confirms that the story revolves around the farm crisis and the frustration of the people involved in farming. The crew shot a major part of the film in and around scenic locations of Kanakapura, with many scenes shot in rural settings to authentically represent the Karnataka of the 1970s.

Cinema is bigger than us: Darshan

Though he has been embroiled in controversies in recent years, Darshan’s popularity has not waned. Two years ago, he was “unofficially” banned by a section of Kannada news media after an audio clip, in which he allegedly made derogatory remarks against the media, surfaced on social media. However, in September this year, he addressed the news media after a gap of almost two years. He said cinema is bigger than star actors and production houses. “We all exist because of cinema and everyone’s contribution matters here, right from spot boys and technicians to actors, directors, and producers”. His remarks resonated positively with the media, the public, and fellow filmmakers.

Kaatera is Darshan’s 56th film. He has stuck to Kannada all these years and has not acted in other language films. Darshan began his acting career in soap operas and small films in the mid-1990s. His first film in a lead role was in Majestic (2002). His recent films, Roberrt (2021) and Kranti (2023), did well at the box office and he has a massive fan following in Karnataka. Though most of his films are in a commercial framework, they address society’s burning issues. Kranti was a critique of the present education system in the country. As Kaatera gears up for its year-end release, the question remains: Can it weave the same magic that films like Mungaru Male, KGF-1 and Kirik Party cast in the past? We would wait and watch.