Filmmakers believe that non-Kannada titles help get wider reach to their projects, given the craze for pan-Indian phenomenon.
Published Aug 28, 2023 | 6:30 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 28, 2023 | 8:06 PM
As many 25 out of 80-plus Kannada movies released this year have English titles. (Supplied)
Did you ever notice that a series of Kannada movies launched recently bear non-Kannada titles, mostly English?
Take for instance: GST: Ghosts In Trouble, Powder, Burma, The Vacant House, Anna from Mexico, Guns and Roses, Fighter, and Chef Chidambara, to mention a few.
While giving non-Kannada titles for Kannada films is not a new phenomenon and something which existed for a long time, the trend has been on the rise lately; in fact, at an alarming rate.
Of the 80-plus Kannada movies released so far this calendar year, not less than 25 have non-Kannada titles, a majority of them being in English.
So, what is the logic behind this growing number of non-Kannada titles for Kannada movies? South First reports.
Considering cinematic liberty and freedom to showcase art, there have been no strict rules and guidelines that confine filmmakers from naming the title of a movie in a particular language.
A working still from ‘Chef Chidambara’. (Supplied)
However, it has been a tradition and unwritten rule of sorts to name the title of a film in the language it is being primarily made in.
In 2008, when actress-politician B Jayamala was the chairperson of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) — the premier body of the Kannada film industry — reportedly said that she was in favour of only films that have Kannada titles to be registered by the body.
In fact, several titles such as Short Temper, Kingfisher and Houseful that sought registration were rejected by the body during her tenure. Even films that were named after living persons were rejected.
It was done to promote Kannada culture and tradition.
With the sole intention that if more non-Kannada titles were encouraged, it would be difficult for Kananda audiences to identify a Kannada movie from other language movies.
“However, there are no such strict rules now and it is the members of the title registration committee who take appropriate decisions on such titles,” KFCC Chairperson Bha Ma Harish told South First.
Film director PC Shekar, who helmed eight Kannada movies out of which four bear non-Kananda titles, has a different take on this growing trend. incidentally, his next venture in Kannada is titled Bad.
“A few of my other Kannada films are titled Naayaka, Arjuna, and Raaga. It is not that we do not give preference to Kannada titles. For any Kannada director, having a Kannada title will always be a priority. But sometimes, non-Kannada titles are chosen to reach out to the audience more quickly,” Shekar told South First.
He explained, “We use a lot of English words in our day-to-day life. For instance, we would ‘door close madu… TV on madu‘ and so on, without our knowledge. There are no suitable words in Kannada for such lines. Likewise, I chose Bad as the title since it is more effective and reaches out to a wider audience.”
The filmmaker further added, “The word for ‘bad’ in Kannada would be ‘Ketta‘. It is kind of difficult to explain but it is for these reasons many filmmakers choose non-Kannada titles. Be it because of the script or any other reasons but not that there are no effective words in Kannada.”
Last but least, film pundits in the industry attribute the reason for the rise in the number of non-Kannada titles for Kannada movies to the popularity of the pan-Indian phenomenon.
They claim that since a pan-India project is aimed at audiences from across multiple languages, a more common title, especially in English, serves the purpose at large.
