Countering the allegations levelled by a section of Congress leaders, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday, March 23, that there are no hurdles to the screening of the Kannada movie James starring late Sandalwood star Puneet Rajkumar.
Speaking to media persons, Bommai said that he has discussed the matter with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce."I have spoken to the Film Chamber in this regard. If there is any trouble with the screening of James, the concerned producers and theaters have the power to sort it out. I have spoken to actor Shivarajkumar too. I have requested him to bring it to my notice or to the notice of the Film Chamber if they face any problem. They too have agreed,” he said.
The controversy arose on Tuesday, March 22, after Congress leader Siddaramaiah alleged that James, which released on March 17, was being nudged off theatre screens in the state to make way for The Kashmir Files at the behest of some BJP leaders. However, Bommai dismissed allegations of BJP MLAs forcing theatre owners. "Congress leaders have stooped low enough to even politicise movies," he said.
Earlier, film critics questioned the Karnataka government’s move to provide 100% tax exemption to the Hindi feature film The Kashmir Files directed by Vivek Agnihotri. The Kashmir Files is based on the killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits due to insurgency and stars Anupam Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit and Pallavi Joshi among others. The film hit the big screens on March 11.
Kannada movie James marks Puneeth’s posthumous release and was slated for theatrical release on March 17. The actor essays the role of a security agent Santhosh, who takes on an underworld mobster. The movie is directed by Chetan Kumar and produced by Kishore Pathikonda. It also stars Priya Anand, Sarath Kumar, Srikanth Aditya Menon, Sadhu Kokila and Anu Prabhakar, among others. Shiva Rajkumar, Puneeth’s older brother, has done the dubbing for Puneeth’s character.