Dubbing row: Netizens irked about Sarkaru Vaari Paata and Major not getting Kannada version; stop Telugu imposition, they say

When SS Rajamouli was releasing RRR in March, there was a big hue and cry (online) about the fact that the distributors were not allotting enough Kannada screens to it, even though the lead actors themselves had dubbed for their roles. While the distributors later chalked it up to exhibitor reluctance to take on the Kannada version, citing business reasons, every now and then this debate about content from other languages not being dubbed into Kannada crops up.

This week, netizens are up in arms over the fact that Mahesh Babu’s upcoming Telugu film Sarkaru Vaari Paata, which is releasing in theatres on May 12, and Adivi Sesh’s Major (releasing on May 27 in Telugu and Hindi), are not being dubbed in Kannada. Mahesh Babu, however, did not attract as much ire as Adivi Sesh, as Sarkaru Vaari Paata is not being dubbed in any other language and is being released as a straight Telugu film. However, netizens do point out that every time a Mahesh Babu film was dubbed for Kannada television, it has got highest TRP ratings, which they say is testimony that even if his films are dubbed for theatrical release, they will get good business. Major, meanwhile, is in the line of fire given that Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, on whose life the film is based was a Malayali who lived in Bengaluru.

It is not only Telugu films that netizens are taking exception to. Last week’s big Hollywood release, Dr Strange- 2, for instance, has released with Kannada versions, but in a metro like Bengaluru, it’s got all of two shows, while the Telugu and Tamil versions of the Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer got 12 shows each. “Although films are dubbed in Kannada, it is a namesake effort, as they don’t put any effort into releasing it in this version,” said one Twitter user. Another added, “Kannada dubbed versions attract more audiences, especially in rural areas. The only thing holding them back from watching big-ticket releases from other industries is the language barrier.”