Salaar, Sapta Sagaradaache Ello & more: Most anticipated Kannada films of 2023

2022 has been a rather eventful year for Kannada Cinema with a wide variety of films faring well at the box office. The Kannada Film Industry, which was often regarded as the lesser of the four south Indian entities, too rose in stature during this phase, making critics and audiences from across the country take notice of what the raw talent has to offer. 

In this vein, the year 2023 looks very well set up for Kannada Cinema and with multiple exciting films lined up for release, the prospects certainly appear quite bright and promising. So, as we gear up for what's in store, here's a quick rundown of the Kannada films to look forward to in 2022: from mega pan-Indian ventures to independent niche films, the Kannada Film Industry has something for everyone. Here we go...

Sapta Sagaradaache Ello

Hemanth M. Rao's moody romance is centred on a love story that spans not one but multiple decades. Rakshit Shetty, the film's leading man, has undergone a stellar physical transformation to fit into the rather intriguing role of Manu: Rukmini Vasanth will be seen as Priya with Chaithra J. Achar playing the part of Surabhi. Each character boasts a distinct look, each frame of the film promises something out of the ordinary - Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, undoubtedly, is one of the most anticipated releases of 2023.

Salaar

Prashanth Neel's follow-up to K.G.F: Chapter 2 is arguably the biggest film of the year with Telugu superstar Prabhas playing the titular role. A lot has been said and written about Salaar so far but the makers have managed to keep the storyline and other key details of the film under wraps, ensuring the intrigue around it sustains. Joining Prabhas in this mega pan-Indian cause are Malayalam superstar Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, Jagapathi Babu, Easwari Rao, Madhu Guruswamy, and Sriya Reddy

Kabzaa

R. Chandru's magnum opus might bear a few resemblances with KGF 2 but there is no denying that, in its own right, Kabzaa is a film worth looking forward to. With Real Star Upendra headlining the film and Kiccha Sudeep, Shriya Saran, and others supporting him in the case, the period gangster drama promises to have all the makings of a pan-Indian success (releasing in as many as 7 Indian languages). The makers are said to be eyeing a February 2023 release.

Orchestra, Mysuru

Sunil Mysuru's film captures the vibrant orchestra culture of Mysuru with Raghu Dixit's soundtrack being one of its main highlights. Poornachandra Mysuru plays an aspiring singer whose exploits to be an integral part of the bustling orchestra scene form the crux of the story - Daali Dhananjaya has penned the lyrics of all the songs. Orchestra, Mysuru releases in theatres on January 12, 2023.

19.20.21

The rather cryptic title of Manso Re's next has already piqued the interest of the audience. Based on true events concerning human rights violation and similar themes, the cast of the socio-drama includes many well-known theatre artists such as Shrunga, Balaji Manohar, Krishna Hebbale, Sampath Kumar, Venkatesh Prasad and a few others. Satya Hegde serves as the cinematographer.

Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare

Nithin Krishnamurthy and his young team have already made many heads turn with all the super innovative and enterprising promo videos. From Puneeth Rajkumar, Rishab Shetty and Rakshit Shetty to the Sandalwood Queen Ramya, the Hostel Hudugaru have roped in the biggest of names to spread the word about their upcoming film. As far as the film is concerned, writer-director Nithin describes it as a one-of-a-kind found-footage comedy-drama that is set entirely inside a boy's hostel, featuring as many as 300 artists. With a majority of the film shot POV style, Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare is likely to be one of the most interesting big-screen experiences of 2023.

Bagheera

Fans have been waiting to see Srii Murali back in his Ugramm mojo and in this regard, they have pinned all their hopes on Dr. Suri's Bagheera. With Prashanth Neel penning the story and the trusted people at Hombale Film backing the film, the excitement is doubly high right now. Rukmini Vasanth stars as the female lead.

Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye

Sandalwood Queen Ramya's maiden production venture, which was also initially her comeback film, has the very discerning Raj B. Shetty at the helm. Raj, who has delivered two starkly contrasting films in the form of Ondu Motteya Kathe and Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana, also stars as the male in Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye with Siri Ravikumar playing the female lead. By the looks of it, the film will be a tender romance that is nestled in the hills of Ooty and similar areas.

Ghost

M.G. Srinivas' slight departure from comedy/romance features Shiva Rajkumar in a rather alluring avatar. Ghost has been described as a heist action thriller that boasts top-notch action along with Shivanna in a never-before-seen avatar - veteran Malayalam actor Jayaram plays one of the main roles in the film and so does Hindi actor Prashant Narayanan.