The year that was: Events that stood out in 2021

The year 2021, not unlike the previous ones, has brimmed with moments of both joy and despair in equal measures. As we close yet another significant chapter to move on to a new one, let's take a look at some of the events that stood out this past year for myriad reasons.

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While 2021 began on a promising note with the month of February, especially, turning out to be quite crucial as theatrical releases began to attain normalcy and 100% occupancy came back in place. Films like 'Pogaru' and 'Roberrt' reaped the rewards during this 60-day golden period and one expected the Puneeth Rajkumar starrer 'Yuvarathnaa' to fare similarly at the box office. However, in a weird turn of events, the second wave of the pandemic returned with a deadlier onslaught, forcing the government to retract the 100% occupancy guideline within a day of the film's release. The makers of 'Yuvarathnaa', despite their strong pleas to the government, were given a leeway of only 3-4 days to fulfill the advance booking demands and later resort to an immediate OTT release. This strange course of events, perhaps the very first occurrence in the Kannada Film Industry, compelled all the other filmmakers to become extra prudent with their films and plan their theatrical releases with proper backup plans. As a result, the release of films like 'Salaga', 'Kotigobba 3', and 'Bhajarangi 2' saw a considerable delay.

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In addition to the pain and misery brought along by the second wave of the pandemic, the Kannada film patrons had to also endure the loss of one of the most vibrant talents around. Sanchari Vijay, a promising and rising star, met with a grave motorcycle accident and was rushed to a hospital immediately, where his condition continued to deteriorate due to a very severe brain injury. Despite the many attempts by the doctors, Vijay's status ceased from improving and Apnea Tests were conducted to diagnose brain death on the 13th of June. The actor's organs - both kidneys, liver, heart valves, and corneas - were donated with the mortal remains placed for public viewing before being cremated with full state police honors.

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Films like 'Salaga' and 'Kotigobba 3' had to endure a considerable delay in theatrical release but the results, at the end of it all, turned out to be quite positive. Despite their box office clash on the 14th of October, both films managed to leverage the return of the 100% occupancy guidelines and perform well commercially. Their credible performance at the box office also sent out positive news to the rest of the industry which, up till then, seemed a bit skeptical and cautious about theatrical releases.

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Regardless of the many glories and merits of the year, one would reckon that a single tragic event managed to upturn it all for the Kannada cinema patrons. The day of October 29th, 2021, is bound to remain etched forever in the minds of the people of Karnataka (and certainly for all the negative reasons) as one of their most beloved personalities, Puneeth Rajkumar, breathed his last on the day. In a tragic and sudden twist of events, the actor, seemingly at the peak of his health, succumbed to a cardiac arrest on the afternoon of the 29th of October to send shock waves across the country. The news, for obvious reasons, brought all the other activity to a standstill for a period of 72 hours as one witnessed a massive frenzy breakout on the streets of Bengaluru which forced the government to intervene and handle the proceeding with utmost care. From CM Basavaraj Bommai to the youngest of fans of Appu, the entire nation deeply mourned the loss of an individual who was far beyond just an actor or a superstar.

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On a rather pleasing note to end the year, Raj B. Shetty's gangster drama managed to rekindle the faith in everyone with respect to Kannada cinema's credibility. Thanks to the very positive pre-release talk that 'Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana' began performing well at the box office almost right away, thus leading to the increase in the theatrical slots. Critically too, the film garnered unanimous praise from all over with some of the biggest names like Anurag Kashyap and national award-winning critic Namrata Jha sparing great feedback for the film. Raj B. Shetty's writing and direction and all the central performances received a lot of praise.

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Come April of 2022 will see two of the biggest, and most-awaited, films of recent times clash with one another at the box office as the Aamir Khan starrer 'Laal Singh Chaddha' gears up for a theatrical release on the same day as 'K.G.F: Chapter 2'. The two films will lock horns on the 14th of April, 2022, and potentially create a highly eventful season for all the cinema patrons across the globe.

However, Aamir Khan, apparently, was fully aware of the catch and never meant to trespass on the 'K.G.F' territory. He would instantly reach out to the producers of 'K.G.F: Chapter 2', director Prashanth Neel, and the lead Yash to convey his obligations and seek permission from team 'K.G.F' with respect to the same-day release. The '3 Idiots' actor, reportedly, was even willing to change his plans had the team of 'K.G.F' raised any objections but much to his delight and relief, the issue was dealt with professionally.

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