Sathyadev IPS: The Kannada version of Yennai Arindhaal gets boycotted in Bengaluru

Actor Ajith's 2015 hit film Yennai Arindhaal was the first film in 20 years to be dubbed in Kannada as Sathyadev IPS. But despite legal clearance by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the support from Krishne Gowda, president of Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce (KAFCC), the film failed to release in the city of Bengaluru today. However it was released in 60 other screens across Karnataka as per their scheduled plan. 

The reason for this boycott is said to have stemmed from the opposition by various organizations and the cine artistes of Karnataka. Vatal Nagaraj, an activist who pioneered the movement against dubbing, has called for a meeting of various Kannada organisations on March 4, 2017. A film industry wide bandh is also expected to take place on March 11, 2017. President of the Kannada Film Directors’ Association, M.S. Ramesh, has appealed to everyone in the Kannada film industry to come together in opposition of dubbed films. 

Added to this, Kannada cine actors have started voicing their opposition on the entry of such dubbed movies. Actor Shivarajkumar has issued a statement saying that he and his family members have been opposing dubbing consistently and there will be no change in it. Actor Jaggesh who is also against dubbed films was quoted by The Hindu, saying 

“Some vested interests have compromised with the core interest of Kannada cinema at the cost of thousands of workers, who are eking out a living from cinema and television. We will not allow dubbed cinema.” 

The Kannada Film industry had a long-standing ban on dubbed movies, which though lifted by the CCI had never boosted a producer's confidence in releasing a Kannada version of their films in the last 20 years. Gautham Menon's directorial was the first to have broken that unsaid tradition and to have entered Sandalwood in the last two decades. Originally produced by AM Rathnam, the film has Trisha and Anushka Shetty as its female leads.