Worst Year Since 2015 & It’s Totally Understood With Failures Like Martin & Max!

Among India’s top regional film industries, the Kannada film industry could be described as the most inconsistent. In glimpses, we have seen the true potential of Sandalwood, but the collective effort and contribution are clearly missing. Last year, there were just a few big releases, including Martin, UI, and Max, but unfortunately, none of them shined at the Indian box office. It impacted the overall collection of the industry.

In Sandalwood’s history, the best year was 2022, and the obvious reason is the release of KGF Chapter 2. The film was a riot at the Indian box office, and it amassed a historic sum. Not just this one film, but 2022 also witnessed the phenomenon of Kantara. It was an all-time blockbuster. There were other hits, too, including 777 Charlie. Overall, in 2022, the Kannada film industry saw a revenue of 810 crore gross (including the collection of Kannada versions only).

2024 was the worst year for the Kannada box office since 2015. According to Ormax, the industry generated a revenue of only 304 crores, a drop of 2.56% compared to 2023’s 312 crores. Though the drop isn’t huge, it’s a worrying sign for the industry, which has immense potential.

Behind the poor performance of Sandalwood in 2024, we have listed three important reasons. Have a look:

Absence of some big stars

Let’s be honest: The Kannada film industry has very few superstars. After KGF Chapter 2, Yash emerged as the biggest crowd-puller of Sandalwood, but he was missing from the action in 2024. Even Rishab Shetty had no release. Even Darshan had no release in 2024 as he was in jail as a prime suspect in the Renukaswamy murder case.

Underperformance of potential hits

There were some contendors to be potential Kannada hits in 2024 but no film performed as per expectations. There was Martin, Bagheera, Bhairathi Ranagal, UI, and Max, but none of them made a mark at the Indian box office. In fact, the highest-grossing film of Sandalwood in 2024 was Max, which earned little over 50 crore gross.

Lack of pan-India releases

Due to the absence of big stars, there were no true pan-India releases last year. All films released in 2024 were restricted in reach, and no efforts were made to give them wider exposure.

Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.

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