Head Bush: Will Dhananjaya make another instalment given first one’s average box office performance?

When Kannada actor-producer Dhananjaya announced Head Bush, a biopic on the late gangster MP Jayaraj, it was meant to be at least in two parts (if not more), to depict how Bengaluru was back then, but also take an in-depth look at who Jayaraj was prior to becoming a gangster and thereafter. The first part, Head Bush: Rise and Rise of Bengaluru, released in theatres on October 21.

The film opened to mixed reviews, with Dhananjaya’s performance being lauded, but the film not matching up to the expectations. Also, the fact that the team had retained an A censor certification to retain certain words and dialogues in the film, meant that family audiences shunned it in movie halls. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the film was also mired in a controversy involving Karaga and Veeragase performers, as shown in a pivotal sequence in the film.

The film is believed to have recorded only Rs 5 crore gross so far, and while Dhananjaya has not spoken about the budget or collections, rumour has it that Head Bush was made at around Rs 25 crore. The actor-producer has been quoted as saying that he is satisfied with the theatrical and non-theatrical revenue the film has had so far but has not clarified if he has broken even or registered a profit.

The reason that the box office figures of Head Bush Part 1 become important is that Dhananjaya had earlier told us that any further instalments in the proposed franchise will depend on the box office reception of the first part. The team, he’d said, has not even figured out what to take up in the next instalment, but assured that former gangster Agni Sridhar’s book has enough content to warrant multiple films. So, will he make Head Bush 2 after all?

Industry insiders say that it looks dicey at the moment. Dhananjaya will now return to the set of Hoysala, his milestone 25th, after which he will either begin work on the Telugu film with Satyadev, which is the 26th project for both of them, or his latest collaboration with Rathnan Prapancha maker Rohit Padaki, named Uttarakaanda. Head Bush 2, if at all, will commence only by the middle of next year. The box office figures of part 1 are not encouraging enough, but it is believed that Dhananjaya may still go ahead and make another instalment as it is a matter of pride for him.