With cinema halls reopening across Karnataka towards the end of 2020, the year 2021 came in as a welcome change to Kannada Cinema fans. From big-budgeted, mega classics to personal, small-scale narratives, 2021 has had a lot to offer so far, and by the looks of it, there is still a lot more in store for the audience. So, here's the list of the best films that have been released this year and made our time at the movies extra special.
1Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana (2021)4.5/5Star: Rishab Shetty,Raj B. Shetty,Gopal DeshpandeFor those who rave about City of God or Angamaly Diaries, here's our very own answer to that. Shiva and Hari leave a lasting impression in a film that give you many chances to hoot, whistle and even get up and dance along with the actors.
2Kotigobba 3 (2021)4.0/5Star: Kichcha Sudeepa,Madonna Sebastian,Shradha Das,Aftab Shivdasani,P. Ravi Shankar,Nawab ShahKotigobba 3 does not disappoint fans of the masala film genre, with a more classy than ‘massy’ approach.
3Puksatte Lifu (2021)4.0/5Star: Sanchari Vijay,Matangi Prasan,Achyuth Kumar,Rangayana Raghu,Arvind KuplikarShahajahan, an honest key maker, finds himself becoming an unlikely accomplice to a bunch of policemen who are thieves themselves. What follows then is a rollercoaster ride filled with many laughs and some shocks.
4Roberrt (2021)4.0/5Star: Darshan,Asha Bhat,Jagapati Babu,Vinod Prabhakar,Devaraj,Chikkanna,Shivraj K R Pete,P. Ravi Shankar,Ravi KishanThere may be a song or two extra that could have been taken out to make the film tighter, but those can be overlooked as the film eventually entertains. Fans expected a festive spread from Roberrt and the film delivers that.
5Love You Rachchu (2021)3.5/5Star: Ajai Rao,Rachita Ram,Achutha Kumar,B. Suresha,Raghu ShivamoggaSome of the scenes in the film are predictable and these could have been made more thrilling to ensure a better narrative. Eventually, Love You Rachchu is a good film for one to watch with the family over the weekend.
6Badava Rascal (2021)3.5/5Star: Dhananjaya,Amrutha Iyengar,Rangayana Raghu,Poornachandra,Vijay PrasadDhananjaya, who is on a roll this year, continues his golden run with Badava Rascal. He excels in his role as Shankar, which is a very relatable character in urban middle classs families.
7Drishya 2 (2021)3.5/5Star: V. Ravichandran,Navya Nair,Anant Nag,Lasya Nagaraj,Arohi Narayan,Pramod ShettyDrishya 2 is a good attempt and technically sound, thanks to the topnotch technical crew. Only, one wonders if the remake is a little too faithful, leading to comparisons with the original, which was released only recently.
8Madhagaja (2021)3.5/5Star: Sriimurali,Ashika Ranganath,Chikkanna,Jagapati Babu,Devyani Chavan,Rangayana RaghuMadhagaja is not something one hasn't seen before, but the way the team has executed it makes it worth a watch, if you like commercial action entertainers.
9Amruth Apartments (2021)3.5/5Star: Tarak Ponnappa,Balaji Manohar,Sampath,Seetha,Manasa JoshiDebutant director Gururaj Kulkarni Nadagoud had said that his film Amruth Apartments is quintessentially his tribute to Bengaluru. And the filmmaker does succeed in showcasing the vibrant cosmopolitan nature of the city
10Sakath (2021)3.5/5Star: Ganesh,Nishvika Naidu,Sadhu Kokila,Rangayana Raghu,Malavika Avinash,Shobaraj,SurbhiSakath has a first half that takes a while to meander to its crux, the quirky courtroom drama that one witnesses in the second half. This one is definitely worth a cinema hall, especially with Ganesh being in his best form.
11100 (2021)3.5/5Star: Ramesh Aravind,Rachita Ram,Raju Talikote,Amitha Ranganath,Prakash Belawadi100 has a pertinent message that deals with how social media has taken over most lives. This can be a good choice for a family movie outing for this weekend.
12Bhajarangi 2 (2021)3.5/5Star: Shiva Rajkumar,Bhavana,Saurav LokeshBhajarangi 2 might be a tad too long, but the experience is worth it and this is a perfect treat for the entire family, for it creates a new world that can be enjoyed by elders and kids alike.
13Salaga (2021)3.5/5Star: Duniya Vijay,Dhananjaya,Sanjana Anand,Achyuth KumarSalaga is the directorial debut of Duniya Vijay, who has credited himself as Vijaya Kumar in this film. The filmmaker has maintained how he's tried to narrate a story of the side of Bengaluru that not many are privy to like he was. Does he manage to emerge victorious as a storyteller? He does
14Ninna Sanihake (2021)3.5/5Star: Suraj Gowda,Manjunath Hegde,Aruna Balaraj,soumya bhat,dhanya ramkumarNinna Sanihake might be a tad long, but the story is fresh, with a take of modern Bengaluru that has been missing in Kannada films.
15Yuvarathnaa (2021)3.5/5Star: Puneeth Rajkumar,Sayyeshaa Saigal,Prakash Raj,Sonu Gowda,Dhananjaya,Thaarak Ponnappa,Prakash BelawadiYuvarathnaa, like Rajakumaara, is a tale about human values. This time, though, the backdrop is of a college campus. For those who like their masala entertainers, this one will not disappoint.
16Hero (2021)3.5/5Star: Rishab Shetty,Pramod Shetty,Manjunath Gowda,Ganavi Laxman,Ugramm Manju
17Inspector Vikram (2021)3.5/5Star: Prajwal Devaraj,Bhavana,Raghu Mukherjee,Darshan,Ragini Prajwal,Avinash,Dharmanna KadurInspector Vikram is definitely worth a watch for those who like their typical commercial fare, as it has enough action, romance and drama, while still remaining pleasing to the eyes.
18Rider (2021)3.0/5Star: Nikhil Gowda,Kashmira Pardeshi,Achyuth Kumar,Chikkanna,Shivraj K R PeteRider is a film that could have been a good romantic tale, but the excessive masala fare makes it fall short of that, especially with its extended climax sequence. But, if you like romance with mass appeal, this could serve as your entertainment.
19Govinda Govinda (2021)3.0/5Star: Sumanth Shailendra,Kavitha Gowda,Ajay Ghosh,Achyuth Kumar,Roopesh ShettyGovinda Govinda is a fun ride, filled with humour and thrills. The second half of the story has some good substance. This can make for a good family outing.
20Mugilpete (2021)3.0/5Star: Manoranjan Ravichandran,Kayadu Lohar,Sadhu Kokila,Avinash,Thaara,RishiShould you watch Mugil Pete? If you're a fan of old school commercial entertainers, then this one might be right up your alley.
