10 confirmed Kannada theatrical releases this July; more to come?

For a while now, Kannada cinema has been struggling with the problem of plenty. Prior to the pandemic, every other week had multiple releases, a problem that continues or has become worse now. Films that were ready prior to the pandemic, and have since been struggling to find a good window to get to theatres, as well as those that began as soon as lockdown regulations were relaxed are all jostling for space at the box office.

In the first half of the year, close to 100 films made it to theatres, and it looks like this trend is continuing. As of today, at least 10 film releases have been confirmed for July, with films featuring Shiva Rajkumar, Pruthvi Ambaar, Likith Shetty, Aniissh, Niranjan Sudhindra and Kiccha Sudeep, among others, in the lead.

Here’s a look at the films that have announced release dates this July

Bairagee – July 1

Shiva Rajkumar’s 123rd film is Tamil filmmaker Vijay Milton’s Kannada cinema debut. Reportedly the Kannada remake of the Tamil film Asuran, the film also stars Pruthvi Ambaar, Dhananjaya, Anjali and Yasha Shivakumar, among others.

Abbabba – July 1

Director KM Chaitanya’s next is the Kannada remake of the Malayalam film Adi Kapyare Kootamani. The film marks Mollywood actress Ann Augustine’s foray into Kannada film production. It stars Likith Shetty and Amrutha Iyengar in the lead.

Window Seat – July 1

A romantic thriller, Window Seat, which has Nirup Bhandari, Sanjana Anand and Amrutha Iyengar in the lead, is actress Sheethal Shetty’s directorial debut.

Hope – July 8

A political thriller directed by Ambarisha M, the film is the comeback vehicle of Shwetha Srivatsa. It also stars Sumalatha Ambareesh, Pramod Shetty and Prakash Belawadi, among others, in pivotal roles.

Tootu Madike – July 8

A comedy suspense film, Tootu Madike has been written and directed by Chandra Keerthi, who also plays one of the leads in the film, along with Paavana and Pramod Shetty. Also on the cast are Giri Shivanna and Ugramm Manju, among others.

Wedding Gift – July 8

Veteran actors Prema and Achyuth Kumar are lawyers at opposing ends in a case involving Sec 498A – domestic violence. The film has Sonu Gowda and Nishan Nanaiah as the couple that goes to court after she alleges abuse. But is she really the victim or is the law that is meant to offer protection to women being misused.

Sugarless – July 8

The directorial debut of Shashidhar KM, who earlier produced the Hariprriya-starrer D/O Parvathamma, and is also backing Prajwal Devaraj’s Veeram, Sugarless is the story of a young man with Type 1 diabetes and how he navigates through life. The film has Pruthvi Ambaar and Priyanka Thimmesh in the lead.

Benki – July 15

Aniissh’s fourth home production, Benki, is an entertainer that focuses on a brother-sister relationship. Sruthi Patil plays Aniissh’s sister in the film, while his romantic interest is Sampada Hulivana.

Vikrant Rona – July 28

Kiccha Sudeep’s 3D fantasy-action-drama is, undoubtedly, the most awaited film now. Written and directed by RangiTaranga maker Anup Bhandari, the film also stars Nirup Bhandari, Neetha Ashok and Bollywood siren Jacqueline Fernandez in pivotal roles.