Karnataka: Siddaramaiah says BJP lawmakers asking theatres to screen ‘The Kashmir Files’ instead of Puneeth Rajkumar’s ‘James’

ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಬ್ಬ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗನೂ ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ತುದಿಗಾಲಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಂತಿರುವ ದಿವಂಗತ ಪುನೀತ್ ರಾಜ್ ಕುಮಾರ್ ಅವರ ಕೊನೆಯ ಚಿತ್ರ ‘ಜೇಮ್ಸ್’ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನವನ್ನು ಬಲವಂತದಿಂದ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ 'ಕಾಶ್ಮೀರಿ ಫೈಲ್ಸ್' ಚಿತ್ರ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶಿಸಲು @BJP4Karnataka ಶಾಸಕರು ಮತ್ತು ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು ಚಿತ್ರಮಂದಿರಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಒತ್ತಡ ಹೇರುತ್ತಿರುವುದು ಖಂಡನೀಯ. 1/8#PuneethRajkumar

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) March 22, 2022

Siddaramaiah said that he had met James director Chethan and producer Kishore Pathikonda who told him that they had booked theatres for the movie screening months ago and paid advance too. “Chief Minister Bommai must intervene and allow screening of Kannada movie James or they would protest against it,” Siddaramaiah said.

The former CM also urged the government to declare the movie tax-free just like it had done for The Kashmir Files.

According to the producer of the movie, James, which was released on 17 March, was being screened across the state but now the theatres are being asked to cut down the number of screenings. Kishore said, “All theatres are seeing houseful and I do not know why theatre owners are asking me to cut down screenings.”

On Wednesday, Puneeth Rajkumar fans staged a protest outside theatres.

Chethan said despite the massive success of the movie, fans have informed him that the Puneeth-starrer is not being screened across theatres. “I request theatre owners, distributors and others to allow screening of James movie,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader DK Shivakumar said, “Many of the BJP ministers and MLAs are forcing theatre owners to take down James and the theatre owners expressed their pain with me. The government is forcing people to watch Kashmir Files at the cost of Puneeth Rajkumar’s last movie. We condemn it. BJP is using Kashmir Files as a propaganda tool.”

Fondly known as Appu, Puneeth Rajkumar, son of legendary Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar, died in October last year due to a heart attack. Puneeth was honoured with honorary doctorate (posthumously) by University of Mysore on Tuesday for his contribution for Kannada movie industry and social service.

A source in the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce admitted there was pressure to screen The Kashmir Files, but there were several other factors also. The movie James is screened in most of the cinemas. Some cinema owners are complaining of reduced footfall. “If the same movie is screened in eight out of 10 theatres in a locality, it is obvious that footfall will reduce. Ideally, four-five theatres screen a movie for more than a week. SS Rajamouli’s much-awaited RRR is all set to release this Friday, and the crowd is likely to grow,” said the source.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday evening, “I have spoken to KCC members and asked them to rectify the issue if there is any.

I have also spoken to actor Shivaraj Kumar. If there is any problem, I have asked them to bring it to my notice. The Congress has stooped to such a low that they have indulged in politics over films.”

Bommai and Health Minister K Sudhakar participated in the pre-release event in Chikkaballapur recently.