Netizens divided over R Chandru’s ‘Kabzaa is inspired by KGF’ comment; content has to be good, they say

When R Chandru set out to make his latest with Real Star Upendra, he revealed very little about his plan. The film, he said, would be a big-budget project, set in an earlier era, owing to which it would be shot exclusively on sets. Every now and then he would release an image of Upendra from the film, Kabzaa, and have major announcement updates when a big star/actor was added to the ensemble cast. The first time audiences got a glimpse of what is in store is when Chandru released a teaser for Upendra’s birthday last year.

Almost immediately, social media was abuzz claiming that Chandru had just done another KGF – from the colour grading of the visuals, to the sets, the music and pretty much everything, netizens called it a copy. Unperturbed, Chandru took on the criticism with his chin held high declaring that he was proud to say that Kabzaa was indeed inspired by KGF. This, he said, was his attempt at making another Kannada film like KGF and presenting it to the world, as people have been saying that it is impossible to make another like it. The difference, he added, was in the story, which, he reckoned, audiences would realize once they see the film.

Now that Kabzaa is only a month and a half away from its date with audiences, March 17, Chandru has begun its promotional activities. The first lyrical video is being released on February 4 at a grand event in Hyderabad. Netizens who have been following Chandru’s statements about the film have been saying that it is commendable that the filmmaker is open about the fact that he’s been inspired by KGF. Ultimately, though, story is king and if Chandru’s tale does not have anything new to offer, none of his tall claims hold ground. “ Hope #Kabzaa will have a decent story and good screenplay,” wrote one user. “I'm still a little optimistic about #Kabzaa. Yes KGF shades ede but recreating that quality is also not an easy task. Content wise I'm not sure coz Chandru is stepping out of his strong zone(love stories),” another added. A third wrote, “I find it amusing that there r still some neutral fans defending the likes of #KD and #Kabzaa even after seeing the teasers. Filmmakers seeing such comments continue to get encouraged. Same fans will later on scream jaatre director, dabba, content illa, routine story...” Yet another added, “#Kabzaa This movie Surely got huge opening across India,mainly due to 2 reasons; 1. Its comparison with #KGF 2. Its making and cinematography similar to #KGF •And its box office run depends only on "CONTENT" •All hopes on Chandru Anna.” A user quipped, “It's been 8+ years since Upendra has given hit, but it doesn't matter much for #Kabzaa, it has enough hype to fill theatres for 2 days and get excellent opening. Rest depends on how Chandru Anna has carved the movie.”