ENS

Udupi, Feb 13: It’s boon time for Kannada films in Udupi. High concentration of students and migrant labour force make Kannada films a big hit here.

Unlike the past, Kannada movies are doing well nowadays, confess theatre owners. Thanks to the migrant labourers from Bijapur and Bagalkot district who are the main viewers of these films in the district. Kannada films like Mungaru Male and Kshana Kshana were screened in Udupi, at the same time when it was released at other major centres like Bangalore and Mysore.

Two years back while canvasing for his film Chellata, Comedy Time Ganesh had told the reporters that if his film runs for two weeks in Udupi, it would be a box office hit. Because, viewers for Kannada movies were very less in Udupi.

“The ratio of localites and migrant labourers watching Kannada films is around 35:65. Of course, it differs from film to film. Because some watch story based films, some other director oriented films and another lot of fans do not miss their idol hero’s film,” said the manager of Sri Ramakrishna Theatres Ltd, V S C Holla, who is closely observing the developments in the theatre industry for the last 24 years.

“Some even sit in the theatre till their favourite song is played, like Kariya I love you..., from Duniya which is presently running in our Kalpana theatre here,” Holla adds.

According to him as many as 51,000 people have watched Kannada movie Duniya (running even after fifty days) in Kalpana, earning a revenue of Rs Rs 9 lakhs.

Whereas, Mungaru Male (127 days) has done better earning around Rs 14 lakhs from a sale of above 2 lakh tickets. If they screen a non Kannada film they need to change 3 to 4 films a month, where as some good Kannada films could run for 3 to 4 months continuously. “Interestingly, Tamil movies like Shivaji also did well in Udupi, mainly because of the media publicity,” says Holla, who is planning to screen Shivaji soon in his theatre.