All said and done, 2022 is definitely a magical year for Kannada cinema. Films like KGF-2 and Kantara made box-office history, not just in the state, but at the national level too. We also had blockbusters in the form of 777 Charlie and Vikrant Rona.
It was a sentimental time for Sandalwood fans as Puneeth Rajkumar’s much-anticipated James hit the screens months after his demise. The Chethan Kumar directorial became the first movie to join the ‘100 crore club’, and the late Power Star also got a fitting farewell with Amoghavarsha’s Gandhada Gudi.
Many fresh talents came up in Sandalwood this year, and their projects won a lot of love and acclaim. Here’s a comprehensive look at what transpired over the past 12 months in Sandalwood.
After an extended setback due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the year had a rather slow start even if there was an avalanche of releases as January came to a close. Around 45 films were released in the first two months, from Ombatthane Dikku and DNA, followed by Love Mocktail 2, Ek Love Ya, By2Love and Old Monk, while a slew of films hit the theatres to mixed responses. Puneeth Rajkumar’s last mainstream film, James, was released on March 17 and notched up a box-office record, grossing more than Rs 150 crore.
The first big break for Sandalwood in the national market was KGF Chapter 2, a mass masala action entertainer. The Prashanth Neel directorial catapulted Kannada cinema to the national level once again and broke box-office records in almost every centre it released. The film eventually grossed Rs 1,200 crore at the global box office.
The next big release was Upendra’s Home Minister, which received a lukewarm response. A bunch of other interesting films, including Avatara Purusha, Harikathe alla Girikathe and Gajanana were released between April and June. While KGF-2 mania lasted for weeks after its release on April 14, the other films that received a lot of love were Sugarless and Wheel Chair Romeo, which caught attention for their strong content.
June saw a film with far less flamboyance, but with a pure soul, and won many hearts. Debut director Kiranraj’s 777 Charlie, starring Rakshit Shetty who also produced the film, was the next big export from Sandalwood. The heartwarming film about man-animal bonding was critically appreciated across all sectors of the audience and made a box office collection of over Rs 100 crore.
There was an avalanche of films between July and September, as over 50 films hit the market, and even Shivrajkumar’s much-anticipated Bairagee failed to meet expectations. Movies like Benki, Ravi Bopanna, Petromax, Totapuri and Monsoon Raaga did not set the cash register ringing either. However, Kannada cinema soon hit box-office gold with Kichcha Sudeep’s Vikrant Rona. Teaming up with Anup Bhandari for this mystery thriller, Sudeep tried something experimental with this film, which also entered the 100-crore club. Ganesh-Yogaraj Bhat’s Gaalipata 2 and Sharan’s Guru Shishyaru were some of the other successes.
Kannada cinema woke up with a start when one film became a box-office phenomenon that no one expected — Rishab Shetty’s Kantara. Released on September 30, it originally hit the screens only in Kannada, but its humongous success prompted dubbed versions to be released in multiple languages.
An action thriller which highlighted human-nature conflict, it became quite the rage for its depiction of the captivating Bhootakola act, and a stellar performance by Rishab Shetty. Made on a comparatively modern budget of approximately Rs 20 crore, Kantara made a gross collection of Rs 450 crore across India and the world.
October opened with Dhananjay’s Head Bush, which faced a lot of controversies, but was soon forgotten when fans got to see the late Puneeth Rajkumar one last time in Gandhada Gudi, which explored the flora and fauna of Karnataka and gave a farewell to the Power Star. Zaid Khan’s well-received debut, Banaras, kickstarted in November and was released in multiple languages.
A bunch of fresh talents made quite a mark with Kamblihula, Yellow Gangs and Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage, and made a lot of noise despite coming alongside big films like Dil Pasand, Rana, Triple Riding and Thimaya & Thimayya.
December saw multiple releases vying for screen space. Apart from big-ticket films like Vijayanand, and Shivanna’s landmark 125th film, Vedha, the last month also had an interesting lineup like Dhananajay’s Once Upon a Time in Jamaligudda, Hariprasad Jayanna’s Padavi Poorva, and Yogi’s Naanu Adhu Mattu Saroja.
However, if the middle of 2022 had a KGF-2 hangover, the end of the year was under a Kantara spell. Despite the big names, interesting concepts, novel ideas and intricate narratives, Kannada cinema was all about the two K’s... Kantara and KGF-2. Where we go from here is anybody’s guess, but one thing is clear... Rocky Bhai and Shiva have ensured the nation’s spotlight on Sandalwood isn’t going anywhere.