'Prioritise Local Audience': Kannada Film Exhibitors Association President's Plea To Darshan

Darshan, a prominent figure in the Kannada film industry, is known primarily within Karnataka’s boundaries, unlike stars such as Kiccha Sudeep and Yash, who have achieved pan-Indian recognition through their multilingual projects. While regional stars increasingly aim for wider recognition, KV Chandrashekar, president of the Karnataka Film Exhibitors Association, advocates for Darshan to maintain his focus on Kannada cinema.

Chandrashekar has urged Darshan to continue making films exclusively in Kannada for the local audience, rather than venturing into pan-Indian projects. He also encourages Darshan to increase his output to at least two films annually, a departure from his usual practice of releasing one film per year, although he did star in two films last year: Kranti in January and Kaatera in December.

Expressing concern over the dwindling number of theatres in Karnataka, Chandrashekar talked about the importance of Kannada cinema’s biggest stars contributing to the industry’s vitality. He notes that if all stars follow Darshan’s pattern of one film per year, theatres may be compelled to screen non-Kannada films to maintain occupancy, potentially exacerbating the decline in Kannada film exhibition venues. Chandrashekar highlights the drastic reduction in theatres, from a thousand to six hundred, underscoring the need for concerted efforts to sustain the local film ecosystem.

It remains to be seen whether Darshan will heed Chandrashekar’s appeal. Meanwhile, Darshan is set to feature in the upcoming film Devil. Celebrating his birthday, the filmmakers unveiled a teaser, offering a glimpse of Darshan in a strikingly different role. In the teaser, spanning two minutes and seven seconds, Darshan portrays a character exuding confidence and menace, donning a red suit, sunglasses and a new haircut. Set against a lavish backdrop, the sequence captures Darshan’s character engaging in a lethal act, heightened by B Ajaneesh Loknath’s evocative music.

As Darshan ventures into this new cinematic endeavour, the teaser hints at an intriguing departure from his usual roles, sparking anticipation among fans for the release of Devil and the actor’s portrayal of this enigmatic character.