Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of

Indian cinema The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...

dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the

Kannada language Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native sp ...

widely spoken in the state of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

. The 1934 film ''

Sati Sulochana ''Sati Sulochana'' is a 1934 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Y. V. Rao. The film was released on 3 March 1934 and is the first talkie film in Kannada language.

'' directed by

Y. V. Rao Yaragudipati Varada Rao (Telugu: యెర్రగుడిపాటి వరదరావు; 30 May 1903 – 13 February 1979) was an Indian director, producer, actor, screenwriter, and editor known for his works primarily in Telugu, Kannada, ...

was the first talkie film in the Kannada language. It was also the first film starring

Subbaiah Naidu Mysore Venkatappa Subbaiah Naidu (1896 – 21 July 1962) was an Indian stage artiste in the silent movies era. He was an actor and director, well known for the movies '' Sati Sulochana'' (1934) in Kannada, which was also the first Kannada talkie ...

and

Tripuramba Tripuramba (1910–1979) was an Indian actress and singer who worked in Kannada films. She is best remembered for her role Sulochana in the first Kannada talkie Sati Sulochana, released in 1934, which made her the first heroine of Kannada cinema. ...

, and was the first motion picture screened in the erstwhile

Mysore Kingdom The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...

. The film was produced by Chamanlal Doongaji, who in 1932 founded ''South India Movietone'' in

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

. Major literary works have been adapted to the Kannada screen such as

B. V. Karanth Babukodi Venkataramana Karanth (Kannada: ಬಾಬುಕೋಡಿ ವೆಂಕಟರಮಣ ಕಾರಂತ) (19 September 1929 – 1 September 2002) widely known as B. V. Karanth was an Indian film director, playwright, actor, screenwriter, co ...

's ''

Chomana Dudi Chomana Dudi ( kn, ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ, ''Choma's Drum'') is a feature film in the Kannada language. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Shivaram Karanth. The film was released in the year 1975 and won the ''Swarna Kamal' ...

'' (1975), (based on ''Chomana Dudi'' by

Shivaram Karanth Kota Shivaram Karanth (10 October 1902 – 9 December 1997), also abbreviated as K. Shivaram Karanth, was an Indian polymath, who was a novelist in Kannada language, playwright and an ecological conservationist. Ramachandra Guha called him th ...

Girish Karnad Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the ...

's '' Kaadu'' (1973), (based on ''Kaadu'' by

Srikrishna Alanahalli Srikrishna Alanahalli (3 April 1947 – 4 January 1989) was an Indian novelist and poet. The majority of his works are written in the Kannada language. He became popular for his novels ''Kaadu'' (1972), ''Parasangada Gendethimma'' (1978) and ' ...

), Pattabhirama Reddy's '' Samskara'' (1970) (based on ''Samskara'' by

U. R. Ananthamurthy Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy (21 December 1932 – 22 August 2014) was an Indian contemporary writer and critic in the Kannada language. He was born in Thirtahalli Taluk and is considered one of the pioneers of the Navya movement. In 199 ...

), which won the Bronze Leopard at

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...

, and

T. S. Nagabharana Talakadu Srinivasaiah Nagabharana (born 23 January 1953), commonly known as T. S. Nagabharana, is an Indian film director, in the Kannada film industry and a pioneer of parallel cinema. He is one of the few film directors to have straddled t ...

's Mysuru Mallige (based on the works of poet

K. S. Narasimhaswamy Kikkeri Subbarao Narasimhaswamy (26 January 1915 – 27 December 2003) commonly known as K. S. Narasimhaswamy, was an Indian poet who wrote in Kannada language. His most popular collection of poems, ''Mysooru Mallige'', has seen more than thir ...

). Kannada cinema is known for producing experimental works such as

Girish Kasaravalli Girish Kasaravalli (born 3 December 1950) is an Indian film director, in the Kannada cinema, and one of the pioneers of the Parallel Cinema. Known internationally for his works, Kasaravalli has garnered fourteen National Film Awards, including f ...

's ''

Ghatashraddha ''Ghatashraaddha'' () is a 1977 Indian Kannada language film directed by Girish Kasaravalli starring Meena Kuttappa, Narayana Bhat and Ajith Kumar in lead roles. It is based on a novella by eminent Kannada writer U. R. Ananthamurthy. The film wa ...

'' (1977), which won the Ducats Award at the Manneham Film Festival Germany, ''

Dweepa ''Dweepa'' () is a 2002 Indian Kannada-language film by Girish Kasaravalli, based on the novel of the same name by Na D'Souza. It stars Soundarya, Avinash and M. V. Vasudeva Rao in the lead roles. The film deals with the raging issue of buildin ...

'' (2002), which won Best Film at

Moscow International Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (russian: Моско́вский междунаро́дный кинофестива́ль, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is the film festival first h ...

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (born 21 September 1931), commonly known as Singeetam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most versatile directors of India. He is credited with hav ...

's silent film ''

Pushpaka Vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...

'' (1987),

Ram Gopal Varma Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Bollywood, Hindi, Kannada cinema, Kannada language ...

's docudrama ''

Killing Veerappan ''Killing Veerappan'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language biographical crime film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, who co-wrote the film with K. Balaji. The film is based on the events leading to Operation Cocoon to capture or kill Indian bandit Veer ...

'' (2016), and

Prashanth Neel Prashanth Neelakantapuram (born 4 June 1980) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who primarily works in the Kannada film industry. He made his debut with the 2014 Kannada film, ''Ugramm'' and later directed the two-part film series: '' ...

's action franchise '' K. G. F. series'' being the highest-grossing Kannada film. Kannada cinema is reported to have 8% market share in the gross domestic box office collections for the period January to August 2022 making it the fourth biggest Indian film industry. The share rose to 9% by October 2022. The total gross collections of the top five Kannada movies of 2022 in first ten months was reported to be ₹1800 crores. The year 2022 witnessed the beginning of new era for the industry in terms of exposure to worldwide attention, box office collection and delivering quality content.

History

Early history

In 1934, the first Kannada

talkie A sound film is a motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...

, ''

Sati Sulochana ''Sati Sulochana'' is a 1934 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Y. V. Rao. The film was released on 3 March 1934 and is the first talkie film in Kannada language.

'', appeared in theatres, followed by ''

Bhakta Dhruva ''Bhakta Dhruva'' ( kn, ಭಕ್ತ ಧೃವ) is a 1934 Indian Kannada language Mythological devotional film directed by Parshwanath Altekar and produced by U. L. Narayana Rao. Although this was the very first talkie film to go under producti ...

'' (aka ''Dhruva Kumar''). ''Sati Sulochana'', starring

and

, was shot in

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is kn ...

at the Chatrapathi studio; most filming, sound recording, and post-production was done in

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

. In 1949,

Honnappa Bhagavathar Chowdasandra Honnappa Bhagavathar (14 January 1915 – 2 October 1992; kn, ಹೊನ್ನಪ್ಪ ಭಾಗವತರು) was an Indian theatre and film actor, producer, musician and singer. He was best known as a singer and as one of the pio ...

, who had earlier acted in Gubbi Veeranna's films, produced ''

Bhakta Kumbara ''Bhakta Kumbara'' () is a 1974 Indian Kannada-language biographical film directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy. The film stars Rajkumar and Leelavathi. Actress Sridevi essayed the role of Muktha Bai (as a child artist), thereby the latter making ...

'' and starred in the lead role along with

Pandaribai Pandari Bai (1930 – 29 January 2003) was an Indian actress who worked in South Indian cinema, mostly in Kannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She is considered Kannada cinema's first successful heroine. She has acted as both heroi ...

. In 1955, Bhagavathar again produced a Kannada film, ''

Mahakavi Kalidasa ''Mahakavi Kalidasa'' is 1955 Indian Kannada-language film directed by K. R. Seetharama Sastry, in his debut direction. The movie is based on the legends of the poet Kālidāsa. It stars Honnappa Bhagavatar as Kālidāsa, a Sanskrit poet who li ...

'', in which he introduced actress

B. Saroja Devi Bangalore Saroja Devi (born 7 January 1938) is an Indian actress who has acted in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. She acted in around 200 films in over six decades. She is known by the epithets "''Abhinaya Saraswathi''" (Saraswathi of ac ...

B. S. Ranga Bindiganavile Srinivas Iyengar Ranga (11 November 1917 – 12 December 2010) was an Indian photographer, actor, producer and director who has made many landmark movies in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. He was also the owner of Vikram Studios. He ...

was an Indian photographer, actor, writer, producer and director made many landmark movies in

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

, under Vikram Studios.

Mainstream

Matinee idol, Rajkumar entered Kannada cinema after his long stint as a dramatist with

Gubbi Veeranna Gubbi Hampanna Veeranna (1891 – 1972) was an Indian theatre director. He was one of the pioneers and most prolific contributors to Kannada theatre. He established the drama company, ''Gubbi Sree Channabasaveshwara Nataka Company'', which play ...

's ''Gubbi Drama Company'', which he joined at the age of eight, before he got his first break as a lead in the 1954 film ''

Bedara Kannappa ''Bedara Kannappa'' is a 1954 Indian Kannada-language Hindu mythological film directed by H. L. N. Simha and written by G. V. Iyer. The film stars Rajkumar playing the title character along with Pandari Bai, Kushala Kumari, G. V. Iyer, Sandh ...

''. He went on to essay a variety of roles and excelling in portraying mythological and historical characters in films such as ''

Bhakta Kanakadasa ''Bhakta Kanakadasa'' ( kn, ಭಕ್ತ ಕನಕದಾಸ) is a 1960 Indian Kannada language film, directed by Y. R. Swamy. It depicts the spiritual journey of Kanakadasa, who was a devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna, and a poet belonging t ...

'' (1960), '' Ranadheera Kanteerava'' (1960), '' Satya Harishchandra'' (1965), ''

Immadi Pulikeshi Pulakeshin II (IAST: Pulakeśin, r. c. 610–642 CE) was the most famous ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi (present-day Badami in Karnataka, India). During his reign, the Chalukya kingdom expanded to cover most of the Deccan region in pe ...

'' (1967), ''

Sri Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya (17 January 1471 – 17 October 1529) was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Empire, reigning from 1509 to 1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered to be one of the g ...

'' (1970), ''

'' (1974), '' Mayura'' (1975), ''

Babruvahana In the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata'', Babruvahana ( sa, बब्रुवाहन) is the son of Arjuna, a Pandava prince, and Chitrangada, the princess of Manalura. Babruvahana was adopted as the heir of Manalura by his maternal grandfath ...

'' (1977) and '' Bhakta Prahlada'' (1983). His wife

Parvathamma Rajkumar Dr.Parvathamma Rajkumar (6 December 1939 – 31 May 2017) was an Indian film producer and distributor. She was the wife of veteran Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar. She produced successful films featuring Rajkumar and their sons Shiva Rajkumar, Punee ...

founded Film production and distribution company, Vajreshwari Combines. Vishnuvardhan entered Kannada cinema with the National Award-winning movie ''

Vamsha Vriksha Vamsha Vriksha (The genealogy tree), is a 1971 Indian Kannada-language film directed by B. V. Karanth and Girish Karnad, based on S. L. Bhyrappa's novel of the same name. The film won the National Film Award for Best Direction.Shampa Banerjee, ...

'' (1972) directed by

based on the novel written by

S. L. Bhyrappa Santeshivara Lingannaiah Bhyrappa (born 20 June 1931) is an Indian novelist, philosopher and screenwriter who writes in Kannada. His work is popular in the state of Karnataka and he is widely regarded as one of modern India's popular novelists. ...

. His first lead role was in ''

Naagarahaavu ''Naagarahaavu'' () is a 1972 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on T. R. Subba Rao's three novels ''Nagarahavu'', ''Ondu Gandu Eradu Hennu'' and ''Sarpa Mathsara'', and starring Vishnuvardhan (actor), Vishnuvardha ...

'', directed by

Puttanna Kanagal Shubraveshti Ramaswamiah Seetharama Sharma (1 December 1933 – 5 June 1985), known popularly as S. R. Puttanna Kanagal, was an Indian filmmaker known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is often considered one of Kannada cinema's most influent ...

and based on a novel by

T. R. Subba Rao Talukina Ramaswamayya Subba Rao (1920–1984), popularly known as TaRaSu, was an Indian novelist and a scholar in the Kannada-language.Mohan Lal and Others (1992), p4185 He is considered as a harbinger of the Kannada literature#Navya, Navya move ...

. It was the first in Kannada film history to complete 100 days in three main theatres of Bangalore. In his 37-year career, he has played a variety of roles in more than 200 films. Vishnuvardhan 2013 stamp of India

With his debut in

's National Award-winning Kannada film ''

'' (1972),

Ambareesh Malavalli Huchchegowda Amarnath (29 May 1952 – 24 November 2018), known by his screen name Ambareesh, was an Indian actor, media personality, politician from the state of Karnataka. Alongside Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, he is counted in ...

's acting career commenced with a brief phase of portraying antagonistic and supporting characters. After establishing himself as a lead actor portraying rebellious characters on screen in a number of commercially successful films, he earned the moniker "rebel star". He also earned the nickname ''Mandyada Gandu'' ( Man of

Mandya Mandya is a city in the state of Karnataka. It is the headquarter of Mandya district and is located from Mysore and from Bangalore. Sugar factories contribute to the major economic output. It is also called Sugar city (which in Kannada mean ...

) Rajkumar, Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh are collectively known as Kannada cinema's triumvirate. Method actor

Shankar Nag Shankar Nagarakatte (9 November 1954 – 30 September 1990) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, and producer known for his work in Kannada-language films and television. A popular cultural icon of Karnataka, Nag is often referred to as ...

received the inaugural IFFI Best Actor Award (Male): Silver Peacock Award" at the 7th International Film Festival of India for his work in the film ''

Ondanondu Kaladalli ''Ondanondu Kaladalli'' () is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language epic film co-written and directed by Girish Karnad with soundtrack by Bhaskar Chandavarkar, starring Shankar Nag and Akshatha Rao in their debut. Through this movie, Kavita Krishnamur ...

''. He is the younger brother of actor

Anant Nag Dr Anant Nagarkatte (born 4 September 1948) is an Indian actor whose predominant contribution has been in Kannada cinema. He has acted in over 300 films which include over 200 Kannada films as well as Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam and Eng ...

M. V. Vasudeva Rao Mudabidri Venkat Rao Vasudeva Rao ( 1920 – 22 March 2002) was an Indian actor. He entered the film world as a child actor in 1928. He won the Best Actor Award at the 23rd National Film Awards for his role of Choma in the ''Chomana Dudi'' (1975 ...

, the first Kannada actor to win

National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...

, was starred in over 200 films in his career; however, post ''

'', he only played minor roles.

is One of the most successful female leads in the history of Indian cinema, she acted in around 200 films in over six decades. She is known by the epithets "''Abinaya Saraswathi''" (

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a go ...

of acting) in Kannada and "''Kannadathu Paingili''" (Kannada's Parrot) in Tamil.

Neo-realistic cinema

Kannada Cinema majorly contributed to the

parallel cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...

movement of India. Directors like

G. V. Iyer Ganapathi Venkataramana Iyer (3 September 1917 – 21 December 2003) was a well-known Indian film director and actor. He was nicknamed "Kannada Bheeshma", and was the only person who made films in Sanskrit. His film ''Adi Shankaracharya'' (1983 ...

were the early names to join the movement.

and

were also popular names in the movement.

's films were however considered a bridge between Mainstream and Parallel Cinema.

Modern era

Prakash Raj Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...

began his acting career with

Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...

serials such as ''Bisilu Kudure'' (Kannada) and ''

Guddada Bhootha Guddada Bhootha (1991) is a thriller, Indian television mini-series which has a suspense storyline based on a Tulu drama shows the country life of Tulu Nadu region of India. The art and technical direction of the series was done by popular Kannad ...

'' (

Tulu Tulu may refer to: People *Derartu Tulu (born 1972), Ethiopian long-distance runner *Walid Yacoubou (born 1997), Togolese footballer nicknamed "Tulu" India *Tulu calendar, traditional solar calendar generally used in the regions of southwest Kar ...

and Kannada). He later took up supporting roles in

films such as ''Ramachari'', ''

Ranadheera ''Ranadheera'' ( kn, ರಣಧೀರ) is a 1988 Indian Kannada language musical action film starring Ravichandran and Khushbu. Directed by Ravichandran himself, the film was produced by his father N. Veeraswamy under Eshwari Productions. Kushbo ...

'', ''

Nishkarsha ''Nishkarsha'' (English: ''Definite Decision'') is a 1993 Indian Kannada-language heist thriller directed by Sunil Kumar Desai, starring Vishnuvardhan, Anant Nag and B. C. Patil. The story revolves around a bank robbery where terrorists become ...

'' and ''

Lockup Death ''Lockup Death'' is a 1994 Indian Kannada-language action film directed and written by Om Prakash Rao starring Devaraj, Nirosha and Saikumar. The film was produced by Ramu for his Ramu Enterprises production banner. It was the first Kannada ...

''. He was known for his dialogue delivery and histrionics. His breakthrough role came in ''

Harakeya Kuri ''Harakeya Kuri'' is a 1992 Indian Kannada political drama film directed and produced by K. S. L. Swamy (Lalitha Ravee). Starring Vishnuvardhan, Prakash Rai and Geetha in lead roles, the film was based on the novel of the same name by Chandr ...

'', directed by K. S. L. Swamy starring Vishnuvardhan, with whom he had acted in other films such as ''

Mithileya Seetheyaru ''Mithileya Seetheyaru'' is a 1988 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by K. S. L. Swamy (Lalitha Ravi) and produced by B. V. Radha. The film stars Geetha, Akhila Thandur, Kalpana Iyer and B. V. Radha. The film has musical score by Vijaya ...

'', ''

Muthina Haara ''Muttina Haara'' () is a 1990 Indian Kannada-language war-drama film directed by Rajendra Singh Babu. It stars Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini Maniratnam in the lead roles. K. S. Ashwath, Kavya and Ramkumar feature in supporting roles. The film spe ...

'' and ''

''. Prakash re-entered Kannada films through ''

Nagamandala Nagamandala (; ) is a 1997 Indian Kannada-language drama film, directed by T. S. Nagabharana based on a play of same name by Girish Karnad. It was produced by Srihari L. Khoday and the music was scored by C. Aswath. It is an adaptation of a 198 ...

'' in 1997, directed by

. Veteran Kannada actor

Shakti Prasad J. C. Ramaswamy (19 May 1928 – 2 August 1986), known by his screen name Shakti Prasad, was an Indian actor who appeared in Kannada films in mostly villainous roles. In a career spanning close to 20 years, he appeared in over 200 films includ ...

's son

Arjun Sarja Srinivasa "Arjun" Sarja is an Indian actor, producer, and director who works predominantly in the Tamil film industry, in addition to Kannada and Telugu languages as well. Referred to by the media and his fans as " Action King" for his roles in ...

is known for his work in South Indian cinema. He starred in movies such as

Prasad 200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...

; the film was screened at the

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

and Arjun received the Karnataka State Award for his performance in it.

Sanchari Vijay Vijay Kumar Basavarajaiah (17 July 1983 – 15 June 2021), known by his stage name Sanchari Vijay, was an Indian actor known for his work in Kannada cinema. He began his career as a stage actor. He trained on stage from Sanchari Theatre, a cult ...

's portrayal of a transgender won him the National Best Actor Award. With the award, Vijay became the third actor after

, and

Charuhasan S. Charuhasan (born 5 January 1931) is an Indian actor, director and retired lawyer who has acted in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. He won the National Film Award for Best ActorSubha J Rao,Entertainment for a cause, The Hind ...

to win the National Award for Best Actor for a performance in a

Kannada film Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...

Shiva Rajkumar Nagaraju Shiva Puttaswamy (born 12 July 1962) known by his screen name Shiva Rajkumar, is an Indian actor, producer and television presenter, predominantly works in Kannada cinema.

is known for his work in ''

Janumada Jodi ''Janumada Jodi'' is a 1996 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by T. S. Nagabharana and written by Baraguru Ramachandrappa, based on Pannalal Patel's 1941 Gujarati novel '' Malela Jeev''. The film was scripted by T. S. Nagabha ...

'', '' Anand'', ''

Ratha Sapthami ''Ratha Sapthami'' is a 1986 Indian Kannada-language romance film, romantic musical film directed by M. S. Rajashekar and produced by S. A. Govindaraj. It stars Shiva Rajkumar in his second venture after ''Anand (1986 film), Anand''. Debutant a ...

'', ''

Nammoora Mandara Hoove ''Nammoora Mandara Hoove'' () is a 1996 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Sunil Kumar Desai starring Shiva Rajkumar, Ramesh Aravind and Prema in lead roles. It's considered one of the all-time blockbuster romantic movies in Kannada Film ...

'', '' Om'', ''

Simhada Mari ''Simhada Mari'' () is a 1997 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Om Prakash Rao and produced by Ramu. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar, Telugu actor Krishnam Raju and debutant Simran. The flash back portion which is considered to ...

'' and '' Chigurida Kanasu''. He acted in ''

Sugreeva ''This character is about the vanara, in the Ramayana.'' Sugriva ( sa, सुग्रीव, , ) is a character In the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. He is the younger brother of Vali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara kingdom of Kishk ...

'', which was shot in 18 hours. His ''Om'', directed by

Upendra Upendra (Devanagari: उपेन्द्र) is an Indian masculine given name. The meaning of the Sanskrit word ' is "younger brother of Indra" and refers to either Krishna or Vishnu, who as a son of Aditi (or in the Vamana avatar) was born subs ...

, set a trend of gangster movies in

and other film industries in India. It continues to be shown even to this day.

Rockline Venkatesh Thirupathi Narasimhalunaidu Venkatesh (born 23 March 1963), better known by his stage name Rockline Venkatesh, is an Indian actor and producer known for his works in Kannada, and Hindi cinemas. He is the founder and owner of the production and d ...

founded

Rockline Entertainments Thirupathi Narasimhalunaidu Venkatesh (born 23 March 1963), better known by his stage name Rockline Venkatesh, is an Indian actor and producer known for his works in Kannada, and Hindi cinemas. He is the founder and owner of the production and d ...

which has produced over twenty five films as of 2012. New age actors - Yash, Darshan,

Puneeth Rajkumar Puneeth Rajkumar (17 March 1975 – 29 October 2021), colloquially known as Appu, was an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter, and producer, who worked in Kannada cinema. He was the youngest son of actor and matinee idol Dr. Rajk ...

Rakshit Shetty Rakshit Shetty (born 6 June 1983) is an Indian actor, film producer, writer and filmmaker of Kannada cinema. He is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards South. Early life Shetty was born in Udupi on 6 June 1983 in a Tulu-speaking Bunt family. H ...

and

Sudeepa Sudeep Sanjeev (born 2 September 1971), also known as Sudeepa, is an Indian actor, director, producer, screenwriter, television presenter and singer, who primarily works in Kannada films. He has also worked in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. He ...

are some of the highest paid actors in Sandalwood. The Rakshit Shetty starrer ''

Kirik Party ''Kirik Party'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film directed by Rishab Shetty and produced by G. S. Guptha and Rakshit Shetty. It stars Rakshit Shetty, Rashmika Mandanna, Samyuktha Hegde, and Achyuth Kumar while Aravinnd Iye ...

'' went on to become one of the highest-grossing Kannada films by collecting ₹ 50

crores A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...

against a production budget ₹ 4 crores and completed 150 days in the main cities of

. The 2015 release ''

RangiTaranga ''RangiTaranga'' (English: ''Colourful Wave'') is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language mystery thriller film written and directed by Anup Bhandari in his debut, and produced by H. K. Prakash, under Shree Devi Entertainers. It features debutantes Nirup ...

'' starring

Nirup Bhandari Nirup Bhandari is an Indian actor who works in Kannada cinema. He made his debut in the 2015 critically and commercially acclaimed movie ''RangiTaranga'', directed by his brother, Anup Bhandari. Early life Nirup Bhandari was born on 13th August ...

and directed by

Anup Bhandari Anup Bhandari is an Indian film director, composer and lyricist who works primarily in Cinema of Karnataka, Kannada cinema. He made his directorial début with the mystery thriller film ''Rangitaranga'', featuring his brother Nirup Bhandari, in ...

, created overseas market for Kannada cinema with a mega release, amassing $318,000 in USA alone. It went on to become the first Kannada film to enter the New York Box office listing, the first Kannada film to complete 50 days in USA and the first Kannada movie ever to release in several countries across the world. It ran for 365 days in Bangalore. In 2018, Yash starrer '' K.G.F: Chapter 1'' became the first

film to gross ₹250 crores at the box office. Its sequel, '' K.G.F: Chapter 2'' (2022) made ₹ 1000

at the box office. Its teaser gained more than 250 million views on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

as of April 2022. In 2022, Yash starrer '' K.G.F: Chapter 2'' became the highest-grossing Kannada film of all time with a record collection of over ₹1000 crores within India itself. Kananda cinema is reported to have 8% market share in the gross domestic box office collections for the period January to July 2022 making it the fourth biggest Indian film industry.

Film scores

Composer

Hamsalekha Gangaraju (born June 23, 1951), professionally known as Hamsalekha, is an Indian film composer and a songwriter who works in South Indian cinema, predominantly in the Kannada film industry since the late 1980s. He is also a screenplay writer, di ...

is usually referred to by the title ''Naadha Brahma'' ( The

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

of Music) who is considered to be the major cause for the change in the music composing and lyric writing style which would appeal much to the younger generation. He integrated folk and introduced western musical sensibilities into the Kannada cinema.

Mano Murthy Mano Murthy is an Indian musician and composer in the Kannada film industry. His is best known for his songs in ''Mungaru Male'', one of the biggest hits in the Kannada industry. Before moving onto becoming a composer, he was an entrepreneur, h ...

scored the blockbuster film

Mungaru Male ''Mungaru Male'' () is a 2006 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film co-written and directed by Yogaraj Bhat, and produced by E. Krishnappa. It stars Ganesh, Pooja Gandhi and Anant Nag. The film is believed to have shaped and strengthened t ...

starring

Ganesh Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

and

Pooja Gandhi Pooja Gandhi (born Sanjana Gandhi in 1983) is an Indian actress, who mainly works in Kannada, Hindi language, Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Pooja Gandhi after starring in the commercially successful 2006 film ''Mungaru Male'', became ...

. Upon the album's release, it topped the charts with the song " Anisuthide" receiving significant radio and TV air time. The album emerged as a massive success topping every Kannada music chart. It was reported that by mid-May 2007, over 200,000 copies were sold in

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...

International recognition

The 1964 movie '' Naandi'' set a landmark by being the first ever Kannada film to be screened at an international film festival. It was screened at

IFFI The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...

1992 Kannada cinema Retrospect. The 1969 movie ''

Uyyale ''Uyyale'' () is a 1969 Kannada language romantic drama film directed by N. Lakshminarayan and starring Rajkumar and Kalpana. The film is a direct screen adaptation of the novel of the same name written by the acclaimed novelist Chaduranga (Su ...

'' was screened twice at the IFFI retrospect - once in 1992 and again in 2019. The 1970 movie '' Samskara'' won the Bronze Leopard at

The 1977 movie ''

'' which had the distinction of being shown at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, became the only Indian film to be chosen by the National Archive of Paris among 100 others, during the centenary celebrations of cinema. It also won the Ducats Award at the Manneham Film Festival Germany. At the 2009

International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...

, it was announced one of the 20 best films in

, having received 1.6 million votes. The 1978 movie ''

'' was released at The Guild Theatre,

50 Rockefeller Plaza 50 Rockefeller Plaza (formerly the Associated Press Building) is a 15-story building located at Rockefeller Plaza between 50th and 51st Streets in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Completed in 1938, the building is part of Rockefeller Center, wh ...

on 17 May 1982.

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

, the chief film critic of

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, called the movie "that is both exotic as well as surprising in view of all the bodies on the ground at the end, sweet natured!". The film was subtitled into English for its American premiere on 18 October 1995 in Shriver Hall at the

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

as part of the 1995

Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium The Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium is a lecture series sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. The Symposium runs each year over the course of the fall semester, as a counterpart to the Foreign Affairs Symposium. History Established in 1967, t ...

"Framing Society : A Century of Cinema". The 1987 film ''

'' featured retrospectively in the

Shanghai International Film Festival The Shanghai International Film Festival (, French: ''Festival international du film de Shanghai''), abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia. "China's biggest film festival" according to the Hollywood Reporter. Nex ...

and Whistling Woods Film Festival. The 1999 film ''

'' was screened at the

Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival The , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Fil ...

in Japan in 2001. The 1999 movie ''

Deveeri ''Deveeri'' is a 1999 Kannada language film based on the novel ''Akka'' by noted Kannada writer P. Lankesh. The novel was adapted for the film by his daughter Kavitha Lankesh. The film won the 1999–2000 Karnataka State Award for best film. ...

'' was selected for 18 international film festivals including the 44th

London International Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival founded in 1957 and held in the United Kingdom, running for two weeks in October with co-operation from the British Film Institute. It screens more than 300 films, documentaries and shor ...

and the

Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year sin ...

. The 2000 movie ''

Munnudi '' Munnudi '' ( kn, ಮುನ್ನುಡಿ, ''The Preface'') is a 2000 Indian Kannada language film directed by P. Sheshadri, based on Bolwar Mahammad Kunhi's short story ''Muthucchera'', and starring Tara, H. G. Dattatreya, Shashikumar and ...

'' was screened at

Palm Springs International Film Festival Palm Springs International Film Festival (sometimes stylized shortly as PSIFF) is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. Originally promoted by Mayor Sonny Bono and then sponsored by Nortel,here for Table of Contents it started in 1989 ...

(2002). The 2002 movie ''

Atithi Atithi may refer to: * ''Atithi Devo Bhava'', meaning the Guest is equal to God as per Hindu scripture * ''Atithi'' (1965 film), a 1965 Bengali film * '' Atithee'', a 1978 Hindi film * ''Atithi'' (2002 film), a 2002 Kannada film * ''Atithi'' (200 ...

'' was screened at

. The 2002 movie ''

'' was screened at the

. The 2004 movie '' Hasina'' was screened at Berlin's Asia Pacific Film Festival. The 2004 movie ''Bimba'' was selected for the

Bangkok International Film Festival The Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) ( th, เทศกาลภาพยนตร์นานาชาติกรุงเทพฯ) is an international film festival held annually in Bangkok, Thailand, since 2003. In addition to fi ...

. The 2006 movie ''

Thutturi ''Thutturi'' (''The Bugle'') is a National Award winning (2006) Kannada children's film directed by P. Sheshadri, starring Karthik Sharma, Kishan Shrikanth, Prathama and H. G. Dattatreya. The film was released on 12 May 2006. Plot The film is a ...

'' won the ''Best Audience Award'' at the 9th

Dhaka International Film Festival Dhaka International Film Festival ( bn, ঢাকা আন্তর্জাতিক চলচ্চিত্র উৎসব) is a biennial film festival held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1992, the festival was initially organized on a ...

. and won the ''Earth Vision Award of 2005-06'' at the 15th Tokyo Global Environmental Film Festival. The 2006 movie '' Naayi Neralu'' was screened at six international film festivals including

International Film Festival Rotterdam The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental fi ...

, Osian's Film Festival and the Karachi International Film Festival. The 2006 movie ''

Care of Footpath ''C/o Footpath'' (or ''Care of Footpath'') is a 2009 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Master Kishan, who also stars in the film. It is first film produced by the Kiran Movie Makers of Bangalore, India. It was directed by the world's the ...

'' was selected for the ''Kids for Kids Film Festival'' at Cyprus and the 2006 film ''

Cyanide Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of ...

'' was selected for the London Film Festival. The 2010 movie ''

Kanasemba Kudureyaneri ''Kanasembo Kudureyaneri'' ( kn, ಕನಸೆಂಬೋ ಕುದುರೆಯನೇರಿ, ''Riding a Stallion of a Dream'') is a 2010 Indian Kannada language film directed by noted Kannada film director Girish Kasaravalli, based on an anthology ...

'' won the

NETPAC The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the inst ...

Award at the ''Asiatica Film Mediale (Italy)'' (2010). The 2011 film ''

Koormavatara ''Koormavatara'' ( kan, ಕೂರ್ಮಾವತಾರ) is a 2011 Indian Kannada drama film directed by Girish Kasaravalli, based on short story of the same name written by Kum. Veerabhadrappa. It stars Shikaripura Krishnamurthy, Jayanthi and Ap ...

'' was screened in 17 film festivals and won acclaims at the film festivals of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. The 2013 movie '' Lucia'' premiered at the

London Indian Film Festival London Indian Film Festival is a film festival established in 2010 to showcase Indian independent film.Zurich Film Festival Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is an annual film festival that has been held in Zürich, Switzerland, since 2005. The festival's main focus is to promote emerging filmmakers from all over the world. In three competition categories only first, second ...

. The 2015 movie '' Thithi'' won accolades at multiple international film festivals including the 68th

and the 19th

. The 2016 movie '' Railway Children'' won the ''Ecumenical Jury Award'' (special mention) at

Zlín Film Festival Zlín Film Festival, also known as the International Film Festival for Children and Youth ( cs, Mezinárodní festival filmů pro děti a mládež) is an annual festival of children's film in Zlín in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1961 in the ...

. The 2016 film ''Bombeyaata'' won three awards at seven International Film Festivals. The 2018 movie ''

Nathicharami ''Nathicharami'' is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language film written by Sandhya Rani, directed by Manjunatha Somashekara Reddy (Mansore) and produced by M. Ramesh, under the banner Tejaswini Enterprises. Jaganmohan Reddy and Shivkumar Reddy are the o ...

'' and '' Balekempa'' were screened at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. ''Balekempa'' also won the FIPRESCI Award at the 47th

. The 2019 movie ''

Arishadvarga ''Arishadvarga'' is a 2019 Indian Kannada language neo noir mystery thriller film written, directed and produced by Arvind Kamath, under the banner Kanasu Talkies. The film is a tale of lust, anger, love, greed, power, jealousy, mistaken ident ...

'' also premiered at the

London Indian Film Festival London Indian Film Festival is a film festival established in 2010 to showcase Indian independent film.Singapore South Asian International Film Festival and the North American Premiere at the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival. The 2019 movie '' Manaroopa'' won 10 awards at various international film festivals including the ''Best Thriller Film'' at Out of the Can International Film Festival at England, ''Best Experimental Film'' at the Cafe Irani Chaii International Film Festival and was officially selected for the Miami Independent Film Festival in the United States and the Istanbul Film Awards in Turkey. In the post - pandemic era, Kannada cinema started making waves across the world in several international film festivals. ''Pinki Elli?'' was screened at around 50 International Film Festivals including the Prague International Film Festival and the

Hainan International Film Festival The Hainan International Film Festival () is a film festival held in Sanya, Hainan, China. The inaugural festival was held from December 9 to 16, and included forums, ceremonies, and competitions. Actor Jackie Chan is the promotional ambassador. ...

. It opened the

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF, previously Pusan International Film Festival, PIFF), held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan (''also'' Pusan), South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festi ...

and was screened at

Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), is one of Asia’s oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies, filmmakers from different countries in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens around 230 films ...

. It won three awards at the

New York Indian Film Festival The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in New York City, and screens films relating to India, the Indian Diaspora, and the work of Indian filmmakers. The festival began in November 2001 and was foun ...

. It also won the ''Best Film'' award at the Asian Film Festival Barcelona 2021. ''Amruthamathi'' was screened at ten international film festivals including

Boston Film Festival Boston Film Festival (BFF) is an annual film festival held in Boston in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It has been held annually since 1984, usually in early September. The Boston Film Festival premiered such notable films as '' The Last Kiss'' ...

Atlanta Film Festival The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is a long-running, international film festival held in Atlanta, Georgia operated by the Atlanta Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Started in 1976 and occurring every spring, the festival shows a ...

, Austria Film Festival and won multiple awards. Abhilash Shetty's ''

Koli Taal ''Koli Taal'' () is an Indian Kannada satirical film written and directed by Abhilash Shetty. ''Koli Taal'' is a film about grandpa goes on an adventure to find the missing rooster and serve the chicken curry before his grandson leaves for town. ...

'' premiered at the 21st

. It was then screened at various film festivals including the 18th Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart and the 12th

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) is a Victoria State Government-funded annual festival based in Melbourne founded in 2012. It is presented by Film Victoria, and the provider is chosen through a tender process. The current tender prov ...

. ''Neeli Hakki'' was selected for multiple international Film festivals including the

. ''Daari Yaavudayya Vaikunthakke ?'' won a total of 94 awards including multiple awards at Rajasthan Film Festival and other international film festivals like

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

, Barcelona, Nawada and Golden Sparrow International Film Festivals. ''Illiralaare Allige Hogalaare'' won the ''Director's Vision Award'' at the 18th Indian Film Festival of Stuggart. It was earlier screened at the

and had won an award at the

Rome Film Festival International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma. Sections The Rome Film Festival official program is divided into several sections: Cinema d'Og ...

. It also won award at the Spain International Film Festival in Madrid.

Baraguru Ramachandrappa Baraguru Ramachandrappa (born 18 October 1947) is an Indian essayist, lyricist, screenwriter, film director, socialist, writer, novelist, predominantly works in Kannada language and President of the Textbook Revision Committee, in Karnataka Text ...

's ''Mooka Nayaka'' won the ''Best Picture of the Decade'' Award by competing with movies from different languages around the globe. ''Jeevnane Nataka Samy'' (2021) was screened at

Miami International Film Festival The Miami Film Festival (formerly Miami International Film Festival) is an annual film festival in Miami, Florida, that showcases independent American and international films with a special focus on Ibero-American films. The competitive film fest ...

. ''Avalakki Pavalakki'' won five awards in various categories at Uravatti International Film Festival, Indo Global International Film Festival, American Golden Pictures International Film Festival, Oniros Film Festival and the Sweden Film Festival. ''Rudri'' won multiple awards at Oniros Film Festival, Tagore International Film Festival and the Vindhya International Film Festival. ''Naanu Ladies'' had its world premier at the 16th Tasveer South Asian Film Festival in Seattle. It went on to win the ''Best Narrative Feature Award'' at the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. ''Pedro'' had its world premiere in the ''New Currents'' Section at the 26th edition of the

. and was shortlisted for the Directors Fortnight Cannes 2020. It went on to win the ''Best Director Award'' in the Crouching Tigers competition section at the

Pingyao International Film Festival The Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF), officially as "Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival", is a film festival held in Pingyao, Shanxi, China. It was launched in October 2017 by Jia Zhangke, a Chinese fil ...

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

, China. It was also the joint winner of the ''Montgolfiere D'Argent Award'' at the

Festival Des 3 Continents The Festival des 3 Continents is an annual film festival held since 1979 in Nantes, France, and is devoted to the cinemas of Asia, and Africa and Latin America. It was founded by Philippe and Alain Jalladeau.Dhaka International Film Festival Dhaka International Film Festival ( bn, ঢাকা আন্তর্জাতিক চলচ্চিত্র উৎসব) is a biennial film festival held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1992, the festival was initially organized on a ...

. It was shortlisted for screening at 72nd Berlinale's European Film Market and the Dallas ft worth South Asian Film Festival (virtual). It was also screened at the Caleidoscope Indian Film Festival Boston where it won the ''Best Indian Film'' award. It also won the ''Best Kannada Movie'' award at Innovative International Film Festival. ''Namma Magu'' received recognition from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). ''Taledanda'' (2022) was selected for

. ''Koli Esru'' was selected for screening at

(2022). ''Shivamma'' was selected for '' Marche du Film'' (2022) - the business counterpart of the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

. It was also screened at the 27th

where it won the ''New Currents Award'' given to first or second feature film of a new Asian director. It also won the ''Young Jury Award'' at the 44th edition of the ''

Three Continents Festival The Festival des 3 Continents is an annual film festival held since 1979 in Nantes, France, and is devoted to the cinemas of Asia, and Africa and Latin America. It was founded by Philippe and Alain Jalladeau.Puneeth Rajkumar Puneeth Rajkumar (17 March 1975 – 29 October 2021), colloquially known as Appu, was an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter, and producer, who worked in Kannada cinema. He was the youngest son of actor and matinee idol Dr. Rajk ...

, was selected for screening at the 14th New York City Independent Film Festival in the foreign film category. In 2022, ''

Shuddhi Shuddhi or Suddhi can refer to: * ''Shuddhi'' (film), a 2017 Indian Kannada-language film *Shuddhi (Hinduism) Shuddhi is Sanskrit for purification. It is a term used to describe a Hindu religious movement aimed at the religious conversion of ...

'' (2017) and ''

Bell Bottom Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg. These are similar to flared jeans. History Naval origins In the early 19th century, when a standardized uni ...

'' (2019) premiered at the ''Indian Film Week'' in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. ''Vagachi Pani'' was selected for the co-production market at the film festival in Busan. ''Thayi Kastur Gandhi'' was screened at

LA Film Festival The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, episod ...

and it won the ''Best Editor'' award at the

Dallas International Film Festival The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), presented by Dallas Film, is an annual film festival that takes place in Dallas, Texas. About Dallas Film Dallas Film, established as Dallas Film Society, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ...

National recognition

* The song ''Baare Baare'' from the 1972 movie ''

'' was the first slow-motion song of Indian cinema. * The 1986 movie ''

Anuraga Aralithu ''Anuraga Aralithu'' () is a 1986 Indian Kannada-language film directed by M. S. Rajashekar. It is based on the Kannada novel ''Anuragada Anthahpura'' written by H. G. Radhadevi. The film was produced by M. S. Puttaswamy. The film stars Rajkum ...

'' was the first Indian movie to be remade in seven other languages. * The 1986 movie ''

Africadalli Sheela ''Africadalli Sheela'' ( Sheela in Africa) is a 1986 Indian Kannada-language fantasy film, fantasy-adventure film, adventure film, written, directed and produced by Dwarakish. Made on the similar lines as the Hollywood film ''Sheena (film), She ...

'' was the first Indian movie to be shot in African forests. * The 1987 movie ''

Ondu Muttina Kathe ''Ondu Muttina Kathe'' () is a 1987 Indian Kannada language film directed by Shankar Nag, starring Rajkumar and Archana. It is based on John Steinbeck's 1947 novella '' The Pearl''. This was the last directorial of Shankar Nag. It is also the ...

'' was the first Indian film to have an underwater action sequence shot in an ocean outside India without the help of oxygen mask. * The 1989 movie ''

Idu Saadhya ''Idu Saadhya'' ( This is possible) is a 1989 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Dinesh Babu. It is heavily inspired by the 1987 Italian slasher film ''Stage Fright'' (original title : ''Deliria'') directed by Michele Soavi. ''Idu Saadhya' ...

'' created a record by becoming the first Indian movie to be shot within a span of 36 hours. * The 1995 movie '' Om'' is the only Indian movie to have been re-released 550 times. * The 2005 movie '' Shanti'' was the second Indian film to enter the Guinness Book of World Records in the ''Fewest actors in a narrative film'' category. It had only one actor with the other characters represented through voice and no physical appearance. * The 2006 Kannada movie ''

'' was the first Indian movie to run for a year in a multiplex. * The 2022 film '' K.G.F: Chapter 2'' became the first movie to gross more than ₹400 crores within India in its opening weekend. It also became the first South Indian movie to gross more than ₹550 crores in its opening weekend. * The 2022 film '' Kantara'' collected ₹25.5 crore in its sixth weekend which was reported to be the highest sixth weekend collection as well as the highest sixth week collection for an Indian movie.

Awards

Dadasaheb Phalke Award The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadca ...
ees

National Film Award for Best Feature Film The National Award for Best Feature Film is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of sev ...

State Recognition

Karnataka State Film Awards Karnataka State Film Awards are the most notable and prestigious film awards given for Kannada film industry in Karnataka, India. These are considered the highest awards for Kannada language films. They are given annually by the Government ...

Udaya Film Awards The Udaya Film Awards is the most prominent award ceremony for Kannada films presented annually by Udaya TV, a Kannada-language division of the Sun Network, from the South India, south-Indian state of Karnataka. The awards ceremony has been inst ...

Suvarna Film Awards The Suvarna Film Awards is an award ceremony for Kannada films presented annually by Star Suvarna Channel, a Kannada-language division of the STAR India, from the south-Indian state of Karnataka. The awards ceremony has been instituted to hon ...

State film festivals

Bangalore International Film Festival The Bengaluru International Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Bengaluru, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, which previews films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1996, Suchitra Ba ...

Other awards

Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...

SIIMA Awards South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreci ...

IIFA Utsavam The annual IIFA Utsavam rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. The ceremony is organised by Wizcraft International, the team behind the IIFA Awards, and represents Tamil cinema, Telugu cinema, Malayalam ...

Mirchi Music Awards South Mirchi Music Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Mirchi Music Awards, presented by Radio Mirchi to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the South Indian music industry. The awards are separately giv ...

* South Scope Awards

Film schools

The first government institute in India to start technical courses related to films was established in 1941 named as occupational institute then called the Sri Jayachamarajendra (S J) Polytechnic in

. In September 1996, two specialised courses, Cinematography and Sound & Television were separated and the

Government Film and Television Institute The Government Film & Television Institute, Bangalore (formerly a part of S.J.Polytechnic) is believed as the first government institute in India to start technical courses related to films. It is one of the few government film institutes in Ind ...

was started at

Hesaraghatta Hesaraghatta Lake is a manmade reservoir located 18 km to the north-west of Bengaluru in Karnataka state, India. It is a fresh water lake created in the year 1894 across the Arkavathy River to meet the drinking water needs of the city. Sir ...

, under the World Bank Assisted Project for Technician Development in India.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cinema Of Karnataka Cinema of Karnataka Kannada-language films

History

Early history

Mainstream

Neo-realistic cinema

Modern era

Film scores

International recognition

National recognition

Awards

Dadasaheb Phalke Award The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadca ...ees

National Film Award for Best Feature Film The National Award for Best Feature Film is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of sev ...

State Recognition

State film festivals

Other awards

Film schools

See also

References

External links

Dadasaheb Phalke Award The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadca ...
ees