The year 2020 was unusual for the Kannada film industry as well as for the entire entertainment world. Movie-obsessed cine-goers had to do a lot of compromises. The year left fans saddened because they could not watch their favourite stars on screen, since theatres were closed for a long while during the lockdown.
Kannada releases, which have been around 200 per year over the last few years, stood at just over 70 in 2020. This year, viewers mostly filled the void with streaming platforms, which kept them engaged with a variety of films. Among movies that released before and post the lockdown, only a handful were worth talking about:
Krishna’s debut directorial Love Mocktail, starring himself, along with Milana Nagaraj and Amrutha Iyengar, was full of mixed emotions since the first-time director brought together the bittersweet ingredients of life in this rom-com.
Topping the list was K S Ashoka’s Dia, starring Pruthvi Ambaar and Kushee Ravi. This was a heart-warming love story blended with all things beautiful and was a skillfully-told love story.
Gentleman, starring Prajwal Devaraj, directed by Jadesshaa
K Hampi, is a gripping film and is one of Devaraj’s best roles.
Radhakrishna Reddy’s Maya Bazaar captures the good, bad and ugly side of money. The thriller, however, works more as a comedy, with the director adding humour to a serious subject.
There was also Ramesh Aravind’s investigative thriller, Shivaji Surathkal, directed by Akash Srivatsa. In this tense whodunnit, Ramesh Aravind sheds his regular image and this transformation was possible only because of the director and writer’s imagination, and the actor’s versatility.
Mansore’s Act 1978 released post the lockdown. The director takes on bureaucracy with this thriller that ends with a social message.
Suri’s Popcorn Monkey Tiger starring Dhananjay and Niveditha also saw a host of new talent. Director Suri takes us through an abnormal world of explicit love, lust, blood, and gore.
The film won big with fans of the director’s work.
When small is big
Sandalwood content ruled the roost on OTT platforms. Here are some of the biggest small screen releases across horror, drama and other genres
PRK Production’s Law: A court room drama based on a sensitive issue
Pushkar Film’s Bheema Sena Nalamaharaja, directed by Karthik Saragur: A simple story written by Suni and Karthik that reminds you of a well-made dish
French Biriyani: A comedy in times of malady, the film inspired by a true event is a laugh riot
Mane No.13 produced by Krishna Chaitanya: Horror and thriller in equal parts
Dia and Love Mocktail were released just when the lockdown began and received an overwhelming response across the world. This also put actors Pruthvi Ambaar and Krishna under the spotlight