Movies often bring people together, but sometimes they also create disputes between states. This is what happened with Kantara: Chapter 1, which will release on October 2.
The Andhra Pradesh government has allowed higher ticket prices for the film, directed and acted by Rishab Shetty. This decision created debate in the Telugu film industry. Producers and distributors said Telugu films do not get the same support in Karnataka.
They explained that when Telugu films release in Karnataka, ticket price hikes are not approved. Apart from that, posters and banners of Telugu films are often removed in many parts of Karnataka. This happened even for big movies like RRR. More recently, Game Changer, Hari Hara Veera Mallu, and OG also faced problems. Because of these issues, Telugu producers had to approach the High Court in Karnataka for justice. Film circles argued that when Telugu films are facing such difficulties there, the Andhra Pradesh government should think carefully before allowing hikes for Kannada films here.
Even with these objections, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan decided to move ahead with the ticket hike. Pawan Kalyan said cinema should unite people, not divide them. He reminded that Telugu audiences have always welcomed Kannada stars, from Dr. Rajkumar in the past to today’s actors like Sudeep, Upendra, Shiva Rajkumar, and Rishab Shetty. He suggested that problems faced by Telugu films in Karnataka should be taken up between the film industries of both states, instead of creating barriers here.
The exact hike will only be known once the Government Order (GO) is issued. However, reports suggest it could be around ₹100 for multiplexes and ₹75 for single screens, similar to what was allowed earlier for some medium-scale Telugu films.
Meanwhile, Rishab Shetty faced criticism after the pre-release event. He spoke only in Kannada, which did not go well with Telugu fans, who felt he could have spoken at least some Telugu or English to connect with them.
Kantara Chapter 1 stars Rishab Shetty, Rukmini Vasanth, Jayaram, and Gulshan Devaiah. Music is by B Ajaneesh Loknath, and it is produced by Vijay Kiragandur under Hombale Films.
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