January and February will introduce us to good entertainers with comedy ventures like Abhijit Mahesh’s Bachelor’s Party backed by Rakshit Shetty, and Chikkana’s Upadhyaksha, produced by Umapathy Srinivas.
The lineup also includes Shri Mahadev’s Just Pass, Klanta, and Case of Kondana featuring Vijay Raghavendra, and Bhavana, which will be released on January 26. Suni’s Ondu Sarala Prema Kathe starring Vinay Rajkumar and Milana Nagaraj, Pruthvi Ambaar’s For Regn, Aniissh’s Aaram Aravind Swamy, Deekshith Shetty’s KTM, Rajavardan’s Hiranya, Shakhari, Moorene Krishnappa, Blink, Vinod Prabhakar’s Maadeva, and Santhosh Kodenkari’s Ravike Prasanga will hit screens in February.
One can expect Chandrajit Belliappa’s Ibbani Thabbida Illiyeli, Nagashekar’s Sanju Weds Geetha2, Prajwal Devaraj’s Gana, Mafia, and Karavalli, Daiji, Koli Asra, Niveditha Shivarajkumar’s first productional venture, Firefly, Pepe, Gramayana starring Vinay Rajkumar, Sanchith Sanjeev’s Jimmy, and Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s project with Lyca Productions, Chethan Kumar’s Burma, Ninasam Sathish’s Matinee making way to theatres this year.
With Raj B Shetty and Rakshit Shetty yet to announce details about their next project, all these and more from newcomers aim to delight Kannada audiences. Let’s peek at what’s in store and whether they’ll live up to the expectations of Pan India films.
Darshan looks forward to Devil
Challenging Star Darshan’s Kaatera, directed by Tharun Kishore Sudhir, was released in late 2023, and is keeping the box office buzzing in 2024 too. His next film, Devil - The Hero, has already sparked interest. The collaboration with Tarak director Prakash Veer is expected to go on floors in the upcoming months. The filmmaker assures that Devil will be a complete entertainer tailored for Darshan’s fanbase. There are a handful of other films lined up for Darshan; however, no official announcement has been made except for Devil.
Kichcha Sudeep’s much-expected Max
Kichcha Sudeep is creating a stir with the release of Max, directed by Vijay Karthikeyan, expected around March or April. Max will be a multilingual release in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. The teaser released on Sudeep’s birthday introduces his new character as the menacing Demon, promising an action-packed plot and compelling performances. Sudeep also has an upcoming collaboration with director Cheran.
Rishab Shetty returns to break record Kantara - The Legend Chapter 1
Kantara: The Legend Chapter 1 is Rishab Shetty’s highly anticipated prequel to the hit Kantara, which explored the human versus nature conflict, garnering significant acclaim. The film’s first glimpse was released on November 27, unveiling intriguing details. Backed by Hombale Films, the film is set for release in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, and English. As reported, over 25,000 aspiring talents reportedly applied for auditions.
Dhruva Sarja sets anticipation with Martin and KD
After his appearance in Pogaru (2021), Action Prince Dhruva Sarja is looking forward to his pan-India project, Martin, helmed by AP Arjun and produced by Uday K Mehta. Despite the teaser’s release in February 2023, the film’s release dates have been delayed to 2024. The film will be released in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. Additionally, Dhruva Sarja has his sights set on KD-The Devil, directed by Prem, scheduled for release in 2024. This movie marks Shilpa Shetty’s return to Kannada cinema and stars Dhruva Sarja, V Ravichandran, Sanjay Dutt, and Reeshma Nanaiah.
Shivarajkumar’s interesting line-up
Shivarajkumar kicks off the year with the multilingual film Captain Miller, co-starring alongside Dhanush, set for a January 12 release. His next in Kannada includes Yogaraj Bhat’s Karataka Dhamanaka produced by Rockline Venkatesh alongside Prabhudeva. He also has Bairathi Rangal, a film by director Narthan made under Geetha Pictures, Arjun Janya’s 45 produced by Ramesh Reddy on floors, which will be released this year. This apart, he has given the green signal to Laki Gopal’s IV Returns and a project with Dinakar Thoogudeepa.
Sriimurali returns with Bagheera
Sriimurali, who was last seen in Madhagaja (2021), is set to return with Bagheera, produced by Hombale Films. The movie, written by Prashanth Neel, directed by Dr. Suri, and starring Rukmini Vasanth, is set for a multilingual release and holds high expectations.
All eyes on Upendra with the UI
Real Star Upendra is making his directorial comeback after eight years with UI. The teaser, featuring a unique blank screen and intriguing audio, has garnered millions of views despite no visual content. UI promises technical innovation and is expected to be a multi-language release. He also has Buddhivantha 2 in production.
Yuvarajkumar’s much-talked-about debut, Yuva
Yuva Rajkumar, grandson of Dr. Rajkumar, marks his debut in Yuva, which is made under Hombale Films and directed by Santhosh Ananddram (Mr & Mrs Ramachari, Rajakumaraa, and Yuvarathnaa). The film, which will be released in March, also stars Kantara actor Sapthami Gowda.
Vijay Kumar set to make noise with Bheema
The first mass entertainer of the year will be Vijay Kumar’s Bheema, the second directorial venture of the actor-director after Salaga. The film is likely to hit the theatres in February.
Dhananjay has multiple releases
January 2024 brings three releases for Dhananjay. While he has the bilingual Kannada-Telugu, Zebra, up for release, the actor is looking forward to Koti, which marks the directorial debut of Param. He is also collaborating with Badava Rascal director Shankar Guru for Anna From Mexico, and Rohit Padaki’s Uttarakaanda, which also stars Ramya, promising an exciting lineup for the year.
2024 seems to echo the pan India trend that gained traction in 2022 with hits like KGF Chapter 2 and Kantara. While there's no official word on major star-studded release dates yet, Kannada cinema this year holds much anticipation. Here's a sneak peek at some upcoming films making their way to the theatres