No hurdles in screening James: Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai

The chief minister was responding to allegations that the late Puneeth Rajkumar’s film was being removed from theatres to make way for The Kashmir Files

Puneeth Rajkumar in a still from James

After a fantabulous start at the box office last week, the late Puneeth Rajkumar’s James has been having trouble in retaining enough screens. The film, which released on March 17, on the late actor’s birthday, took a great opening, but in the subsequent days, it was apparently removed from several theatres, especially in the Bengaluru market, to make way for Vivek Agnihotri’s Hindi film, The Kashmir Files. Subsequently, James lost further screens to this week’s big release, RRR also.

The issue with screens going to The Kashmir Files, though, was alleged to be politically driven, considering that the film is being promoted by the central government and given major tax breaks too. Responding to this, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “There will be no hurdles to the screening of the late Puneeth Rajkumar’s film, James. I have spoken to the Film Chamber in this regard. If there is any trouble with the screening of James, the concerned producers and theaters have the power to sort it out. I have spoken to actor Shivarajkumar too. I have requested him to bring it to my notice or to the notice of the Film Chamber if they face any problem. They too have agreed.”

James, directed by Chethan Kumar and produced by Kishore Pathikonda, is Puneeth’s last commercial film. The actor passed away last October, when the team still had about 20-days-worth of shoot left to be completed. The team, however, managed to salvage the film with CGI and stunt doubles to stand in for scenes Puneeth had not shot for. Subsequently, it was announced as a March 17 treat for fans of the late Power Star, which also elevated it from merely being a film to becoming an emotion.

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