PremiumJailer: Kannada-dubbed version clocks Rs 5 cr and counting; proof that there’s demand
Jailer now holds the record for being the highest grossing in a Kannada dubbed version
Last Updated: 09.11 PM, Aug 29, 2023
Not too long ago, when RRR released in Karnataka, distributor KVN Production received a lot of flak for not allotting many shows for the Kannada dubbed version. The Telugu original took precedence and KVN claimed that despite their best efforts, exhibitors were not keen on taking the Kannada version. This was the case even though lead actors Ram Charan and Jr NTR had dubbed for the Kannada version. Subsequently, every time a major title from another language came, there would be online requests for it to release in Kannada too. However, the teams often skipped that citing no interest by audiences for Kannada dubbed versions and that it was, hence, not a commercially-viable option.
More recently, when Adipurush came, distributors KRG Studios took an active interest in getting quality dubbing done and even though the film didn’t do well overall, the Kannada version was well received. Last week’s big-ticket Onam release King of Kotha did not get a Kannada version, while Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan also doesn’t have one. Audiences have been urging the makers of the SRK film to dub the film, but there’s been no word on that yet. Interestingly enough, Superstar Rajinikanth’s Jailer is proof enough that there is a healthy demand for the Kannada dubbed version. In less than three weeks since its release, Jailer has amassed Rs 5 crore and counting from its Kannada version alone, making it the first-ever other language film to attain that feat.
Jailer had opened with over 1,200 shows in Karnataka, a majority of which were in the Tamil original ver sion. The film is said to have got Rs 63 crore from the state, with several cities still reporting fast filling shows. One of the film’s major highlights was a brief cameo by Karunada Chakravarthy Shivarajkumar, which struck a chord with audiences across the country.