Over 215 Kannada films were released in 2023, of which only a handful of movies made an impact at the box office.
Kannada films of 2023. (Supplied)
Every year, no less than 200-plus Kannada films hit the screens across Karnataka. The numbers have rarely decreased, but when it comes to the success rate, only a handful manage to earn profits.
Some end up as break-even projects and the rest are declared flops or utter flops!
Also, unlike in the past, the star actors who can pull the audience to theatres are taking their own sweet time with their movies. This has further complicated the matters.
For instance, despite the humongous success of the KGF (2019 and 2022) series, Rocking Star Yash took more than one-and-a-half years to announce his next film. Yash’s next film, Toxic, is scheduled for release on 10 April 2025. His last successful venture KGF: Chapter 2 was released on 14 April 2022.
Likewise, apart from a cameo appearance in Kabzaa, Kiccha Sudeep had no other release in 2023.
However, Sandalwood did witness some of the finest content and impressive works from the new filmmakers this year.
A still from the film ‘Saptha Sagaradaache Ello’. (Supplied)
The year 2023 started with a big budget and star-studded film Kranti, featuring Challenging Star Darshan and directed by V Harikrishna. While the team claimed it to be a super hit, the movie failed to meet the expectations and was certainly not a blockbuster venture.
Then came the multi-starrer film Kabzaa from director R Chandru. Yet again, the team claimed it to be a hit. But the Kannada film was a disappointment in terms of its pan-India expectations.
However, Dr Shiva Rajkumar’s Ghost did fare well at the box office and on the OTT platform.
Filmmaker Rakshit Shetty’s Sapta Sagaradaache Ello Side A and Side B were well-appreciated by the audience. The two-part film did some good business at the end.
Though Toby by Raj B Shetty earned critical appreciation, it failed to do any magic at the box office. His Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye produced by Ramya was high on content and making, but it failed to do great business.
Daali Dhananjaya’s production venture Tagaru Palya was appreciated for its honesty and clean comedy.
Ramesh Aravind’s Shivaji Surathkal 2 starring and Navarasa Nayaka Jaggesh’s Raghavendra Stores turned out to be good but not too good at the box office success is concerned.
Milana in ‘Kousalya Supraja Rama’. (Supplied)
Meanwhile, the next-generation actors in the industry made their attempts, of which only a couple managed to deliver hits.
Starting Daali Dhananjaya, he opened his account with Gurudev Hoysala. It did make some impact at the box office but earned more through OTT and satellite collections.
Director Shashank’s Kousalya Supraja Rama featuring Darling Krishna earned positive reviews and also fetched good returns for its producers.
Prajwal Devaraj and Meghana Raj made a comeback with Tatsama Tadbhava, a decent thriller in terms of content, presentation, and making.
Mansore’s 19.20.21 left a good mark for its relevant and thought-provoking subject. So did HN Naresh Kumar’s directorial South Indian Hero.
Guru Deshpande’s experimental film Pentagon was a hit.
A still from the film ‘Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye’. (Supplied)
Of the 215-odd Kannada films released in 2023, around 175 are from newcomers (81 percent)!
While most of them hit the theatres and vanished in a jiffy, a handful of those projects surprised one and all.
Films like Aachar & Co. (produced under PRK Productions), Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare, and Daredevil Musthafa (presented by Daali Dhananjaya) were appreciated by the audience and even succeeded to a good extent in terms of profits.
Actor-politician Ramya turned producer with Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye — one the finest Kannada films of the year with a sensible subject and great performances. Raj B Shetty and Siri Ravikumar are a treat to watch.
Unfortunately, the Kannada movie could not garner success at the box office. Do not be surprised if the actor and the filmmakers end up getting a good amount of awards and recognition for making a memorable film in the end.
A few honourable mentions in this newcomers category are — Hondisi Bareyiri, Damayana, Dooradarshana, Kshetrapati, Raaghu, Naanu Kusuma, and Pinki Elli.
Abhishek Ambareesh in ‘Bad Manners’. (Supplied)
While director R Chandru’s Kabzaa had every ingredient for box office success, it missed the mark due to the pan-India expectations.
According to film pundits, Darshan’s Kranti was also a disappointment because of huge expectations from fans.
In fact, the Kannada film industry hoped to continue its successful run after KGF: Chapter 2, Kantara, and 777 Charlie in 20222.
Golden Star Ganesh’s Baanadariyalli tops the list of biggest disappointments after Kabzaa and Kranti.
Actor Abhishek Ambareesh, who was hoping to bounce back after his debut film Amar (2019), left his fans disappointed. His second film Bad Manners directed by Duniya Suri is termed an average flick.
Director Yogaraj Bhat’s Garadi also made it to the list of disappointments for Sandalwood in 2023.
The long list of star actors who went missing in action for the year includes Yash, Rishab Shetty, Dhruva Sarja, Srii Murali, Satish Ninasam, Sharan, Duniya Vijay, and Ajai Rao.
While Yash announced his next titled Toxic, Rishab Shetty is busy with his prequel — Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1 — to pan-India blockbuster Kantara.
Dhruva Sarja is wrapping up his most awaited pan-India film Martin. He is busy shooting for another big-budget film titled KD-Devil directed by Jogi Prem.
Srii Murali is set to return with Bagheera being produced by Hombale Films.
Duniya Vijay recently completed the shooting of his next directorial film titled Bheema.
Kiccha Sudeep’s Max directed by Vijay Kartikeyaa will release in 2024.
Kannada superstar Dr Shiva Rajkumar has a lineup of projects. His next Tamil venture titled Captain Miller is scheduled for release in January 2024.
With Challenging Star Darshan‘s Kaatera marking the end of 2023, and a long line of big-budget and star-studded films lined up for release in Kannada, 2024 certainly looks promising and interesting for the Kannada film industry!
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