Kushi and Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, a mini Barbenheimer in the offing?

It cannot be denied that the linguistic and cultural lines drawn among moviegoers in India are slowly blurring. Though this phenomenon could be attributed to the OTT boom that occurred during the coronavirus pandemic, the subsequent resurgence of the cinema hall has galvanized it further. Audiences today aren't necessarily mindful of the language that the film is shot in as long as they have a solid story, and subtitles/dubbed versions, to rely upon. 

What this gradual change in the landscape also does is it pits against one another two films which, in the past, could have been deemed unlikely contenders. Before, a Telugu film, no matter how enterprising in nature, posed a considerably small challenge to a Hindi film set to release on the same day. Similarly, a Kannada film did not warrant as much attention outside Karnataka as it perhaps does today, especially when a film of similar or higher repute clashed with it at the box office.

Jailer: Rajinikanth, Shiva Rajkumar & Co. set to create history in Karnataka, here's how 

Kushi and Sapta Sagaradaache Ello set up an interesting clash

And interestingly, the first Friday of September will enunciate this ongoing trend, so to speak, we refer to when Sapta Sagaradaache Ello and Kushi arrive together in cinemas. The former is a promising Kannada release featuring some of the brightest talents (Rakshit Shetty, Hemanth M. Rao, Advaitha Gurumurthy, Charan Raj, etc.) of the "new wave" of Kannada cinema. The latter, another intriguing love story featuring top-league Telugu stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Vijay Devarakonda . Yes, it is uncalled for and even incorrect to compare two films regardless of the similarities they boast, but in a very practical scenario, it is likely that a potential member chooses one film over the other to invest time and money. In an ideal scenario, you buy tickets for both. 

The recent Barbenheimer face-off allowed both big-ticket films to thrive in their respective ways, making it a rare, one-of-a-kind event in the modern-day environment. Of course, both films benefitted from strong reviews from critics as well as viewers.

The point, though, is that in a more open box office market such as Karnataka, both Sapta Sagaradaache Ello and Kushi hold equal potential to do well. As already discussed, both films are not devoid of marquee names and in all fairness, they both can also be placed under the 'film for all ages and genders' category. Sure, they differ from one another in aspects like texture and tone but the target audience has a huge overlap. 

The characters of Sapta Sagaradaache Ello never profess their love, you will feel it: Hemanth M Rao 

Cinema halls back in vogue

That said, it is exciting nevertheless that there is twice the excuse and opportunity to pay a visit to theatres. What's also exciting is that unlike in the past, a Kannada film did not stand a great chance of faring well in the Telugu states (and beyond), but with the KGF 2s and Kantaras (and now Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare) challenging this narrative, a film like Sapta Sagaradaache Ello can dream big. But for this to happen, the film will have to emerge meritorious in its home region first. 

Kushi, on the other hand, will feel a little more comfortable about its prospects in Karnataka considering the demand for Telugu cinema over the years. The Shiva Nirvana film appears to be a globetrotting love story comprising picturesque locales and fluffy romance, but more importantly, it seems like the right medium for both Samantha and Vijay Devarakonda to spring back into form. All eyes on the box office now.