<p>The year 2020 has been an eventful year for the Kannada film industry despite the fact that theatres were shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With 2021 around the corner, here is a look at the key moments for Sandalwood from the past 11 months.</p>.<p><strong>Chiranjeevi Sarja’s death</strong>: Actor Chiranjeevi Sarja, the nephew of ‘Action King’ Arjun Sarja passed away on April 7 following a cardiac arrest. The young hero, who acted in well-received films such as <em>Ajith </em>and <em>Amma I Love You</em>, enjoyed a strong fan following due to his impressive screen presence and sincere performances. He was married to actor Meghana Raj.</p>.<p><strong>Covid-19 pandemic affects release dates:</strong> The Covid-19 pandemic affected the release dates of several big movies as all shoots were put on hold due to the lockdown. <em>KGF Chapter 2</em>, <em>Roberrt </em>and Sudeep’s <em>Kotigobba 3 </em>were some of the biggies that failed to keep their date with the audience.</p>.<p><strong>KGF Chapter 2 makes headlines</strong>: The pan-India biggie <em>KGF Chapter 2</em>, a sequel to the 2018 blockbuster <em>KGF</em>, remained the talk of the town for a variety of reasons despite not being able to hit the screens. The makers unveiled Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon’s looks from the biggie much to the delight of fans. A few websites claimed that the film would release directly on a streaming platform as opposed to in theatres. Yash, however, dismissed the rumours.</p>.<p><strong>Rise of OTT</strong>: Digital platforms emerged as an alternative to theatres amid the Covid-19 lockdown. Films such as <em>Law</em>, <em>French Biryani</em> and <em>Bheemasena Nalamaharaja</em> released on Amazon Prime Video, skipping the theatrical route. These films, however, received mixed to negative reviews as the content was not as good as expected.</p>.<p><strong>Shivanna fails to score a hit</strong>: Veteran actor Shivarajkumar, who is going through a rough phase on the work front, suffered a major setback when <em>Drona </em>sank without a trace while receiving mediocre reviews. The ‘Hattrick Hero’ will be hoping to revive his career with the eagerly-awaited movie <em>Bhajarangi 2</em>, slated to release in theatres next year. Contrary to perception, the Harsha directed biggie is not a sequel to the 2013 blockbuster <em>Bhajarangi</em></p>
<p>The year 2020 has been an eventful year for the Kannada film industry despite the fact that theatres were shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With 2021 around the corner, here is a look at the key moments for Sandalwood from the past 11 months.</p>.<p><strong>Chiranjeevi Sarja’s death</strong>: Actor Chiranjeevi Sarja, the nephew of ‘Action King’ Arjun Sarja passed away on April 7 following a cardiac arrest. The young hero, who acted in well-received films such as <em>Ajith </em>and <em>Amma I Love You</em>, enjoyed a strong fan following due to his impressive screen presence and sincere performances. He was married to actor Meghana Raj.</p>.<p><strong>Covid-19 pandemic affects release dates:</strong> The Covid-19 pandemic affected the release dates of several big movies as all shoots were put on hold due to the lockdown. <em>KGF Chapter 2</em>, <em>Roberrt </em>and Sudeep’s <em>Kotigobba 3 </em>were some of the biggies that failed to keep their date with the audience.</p>.<p><strong>KGF Chapter 2 makes headlines</strong>: The pan-India biggie <em>KGF Chapter 2</em>, a sequel to the 2018 blockbuster <em>KGF</em>, remained the talk of the town for a variety of reasons despite not being able to hit the screens. The makers unveiled Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon’s looks from the biggie much to the delight of fans. A few websites claimed that the film would release directly on a streaming platform as opposed to in theatres. Yash, however, dismissed the rumours.</p>.<p><strong>Rise of OTT</strong>: Digital platforms emerged as an alternative to theatres amid the Covid-19 lockdown. Films such as <em>Law</em>, <em>French Biryani</em> and <em>Bheemasena Nalamaharaja</em> released on Amazon Prime Video, skipping the theatrical route. These films, however, received mixed to negative reviews as the content was not as good as expected.</p>.<p><strong>Shivanna fails to score a hit</strong>: Veteran actor Shivarajkumar, who is going through a rough phase on the work front, suffered a major setback when <em>Drona </em>sank without a trace while receiving mediocre reviews. The ‘Hattrick Hero’ will be hoping to revive his career with the eagerly-awaited movie <em>Bhajarangi 2</em>, slated to release in theatres next year. Contrary to perception, the Harsha directed biggie is not a sequel to the 2013 blockbuster <em>Bhajarangi</em></p>