The late Puneeth Rajkumar's last film James, which hit the screens on March 17, has become the second Kannada movie to gross Rs 100 crore at the Karnataka box office. It joins Yash's KGF, one of the biggest hits of 2018, in the elite club. The film garnered plenty of attention when it was first announced in 2020 as it reunited 'Appu' with Priya Anand, his co-star in the well-received Raajakumara.
It, however, became an emotion following Puneeth's untimely death last year. The film had a record number of shows in Karnataka on day 1, which helped it open better than the Yash-starrer. James also benefited from the lukewarm response to Radhe Shyam, which premiered in theatres on March 11, in Karnataka. The fact that it received positive reviews, with most critics describing it as a celebration of a mass hero, worked in its favour and helped it end its first weekend on a fantastic note.
James, produced by Kishore Pathikonda, is an actioner that revolves around what happens when the protagonist locks horns with a dangerous foe. It has been directed by Chethan Kumar, who previously wielded the microphone for Bharjari and Bahaddur, and is the biggest movie of his career. James has an impressive supporting cast that includes Sarathkumar, Srikanth and Mukesh Rishi. Shivanna and Raghavendra Rajkumar have cameos in the movie. Shivarajkumar dubbed for Puneeth after his death. While there were initially some reservations about whether he would be able to do justice to Appu's mannerisms, most fans ultimately gave his dubbing the thumbs up.
The James juggernaut comes at a time when the Kannada film industry is going through a terrific phase. KGF Chapter 2, a sequel to KGF, is set to hit the screens on April 14. It is likely to be a gamechanger for all concerned. Vikrant Rona, headlined by Sudeep, too is set to be a crucial release for the industry.