While giving non-Kannada titles for Kannada films is not a new phenomenon and has existed for a long time, the trend has been on the rise lately; in fact, at an alarming rate.
Considering cinematic liberty, there have been no strict rules and guidelines that confine filmmakers from naming the title of a movie in a particular language.
When actress-politician B Jayamala was the chairperson of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) said that she was in favour of only films that have Kannada titles.
“However, there are no strict rules now and it is the members of the title registration committee who take appropriate decisions,” KFCC Chairperson Bha Ma Harish remarked.
PC Shekar, has a different take, “It is not that we do not give preference to Kannada titles. Sometimes, non-Kannada titles are chosen to reach out to the audience more quickly.”
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.