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James vs The Kashmir Files: No hurdles for the Kannada movie, says Bommai
The controversy arose on Tuesday after Karnataka opposition leader Siddaramaiah claimed that some BJP politicians and party workers were forcing theatres to screen The Kashmir Files instead
Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said there will be no hurdles to screening of late Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s last feature film “James”. His comments come after a controversy over the Congress’s claim that James was being forced out of theatres to accommodate controversial Hindi movie “The Kashmir Files”.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Bommai said: “I have spoken to the Film Chamber in this regard. If there is any trouble with the screening of James, the concerned producers and theatres have the power to sort it out. I have spoken to actor Shivarajkumar (Rajkumar’s brother and actor), 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.”
The controversy arose on Tuesday after Karnataka opposition leader Siddaramaiah claimed that some BJP politicians and party workers were forcing theatres to screen The Kashmir Files instead.
In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah elaborated, “@BJP4Karnataka’s lawmakers and activists are putting pressure on theatres to stop the screening of late Puneeth Rajkumar’s last film ‘James’ for ‘The Kashmiri Files’.” According to reports, Kishore Pathikonda, the producer of James, met with Siddaramaiah on Monday night.
“The film’s producers have already made theatre reservations and paid a deposit. Disrupting screening of James to show The Kashmir Files is harassment,” he said.
Siddaramaiah also requested that the government exempt James from taxation, as it had done with The Kashmir Files. Siddaramaiah also demanded that the government exclude James from paying taxes, as it had done with The Kashmir Files.
However, Bommai dismissed allegations of BJP MLAs forcing theatre owners. “Congress leaders have stooped low enough to even politicise movies,” he said.
These allegations gained momentum after the producer of ‘James’ Pathikonda claimed that numerous theatres had urged him to lower the number of presentations to accommodate other films, but he refused to name them. “I’m not sure if and from whom these theatre owners are under pressure,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Shivarajkumar on Thursday refuted Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s allegation that the “James” film is being taken off the theatre screens for “The Kashmir Files”.
“There is no connection between The Kashmir Files’ and James’ because this issue is not for discussion. The Kashmir Files’ is running in theatres. Appaji (Dr Rajkumar) and my mother taught us not to interfere in the screening of good films,” he told reporters here.
However, Shivarajkumar said the producer of “James”, Kishore Pathikonda, has screening problems with S Rajamouli’s Telugu movie ‘RRR’. “My concern is that RRR is being screened at major Kannada centres like Navarang where ₹20 to ₹22 lakh collection takes place. Shivanna and I met the chief minister and he has asked us to meet the Film Chamber to sort out the problem,” Pathikonda said in a statement on Thursday.
