Went from an international film to looking like just another pan-Indian release not because of the film or its distrubtion network, but because of its absolutely atrocious marketing. Could’ve easily done without that atrocious Ladies and Ladies teaser and announced the Lionsgate collaboration sooner.
Despite Valmiki's Ramayana explicitly saying that the Vanaras fought with brute force using trees and rocks, -शिलाभिश्च महावृक्षैः पादपैश्च समन्ततः ।
राक्षसानभ्यवर्षन्त वानराः क्रोधमूर्छिताः ॥
Transliteration:
śilābhiś ca mahāvṛkṣaiḥ pādapaiś ca samantataḥ |
rākṣasān abhyavarṣanta vānarāḥ krodhamūrchitāḥ ||
Meaning:
"Filled with fury, the Vanaras rained down rocks, huge trees, and uprooted trees upon the Rakshasas from every direction."
SSR depicted them using modern round maces (gadhas). Not because it is cinematic liberty (only he can pull that off), or because of a lack of research, or because it is a historical inaccuracy (which he would never do). I think it's because the film is a time-trotter.
Either Rudra's character or Kumbha's character has time-travelled back to the past, as hinted in the teaser. One of them could have helped the Vanaras get the modern gadhas by time travelling agin unto the future. I have a feeling it would be Rudra's character, since Mahesh Babu plays roles where he's helping out a friend, a family, a village, or even a state.
This time, he's going out to help our ancestors.
The future is interlinking with the past.
The character played by Mamta Mohandas is actually the guardian of justice, karma, and dharma the Yamadharmaraja himself depicted in such a disrespectful and absolutely disgusting manner. Like literally, Jr. NTR's character spanks a literal god.
The divine recorder, Chitragupta, the ancestral deity of the Kayastha community, is portrayed as a lustful lowlife. He literally fixes a girl through a broker.
The divine celestial dancers, the apsaras - Rambha, Urvashi, and Menaka, are made to dance to absolutely dogshit lyrics and disgusting innuendos for a human.
And this was from a man who has had at least five movies of direction experience.
Only in our country is the certification board absolutely useless and beyond logic.
What exactly is wrong with a kiss that these guys think it needs to be censored? I mean, what do they think is going to happen to the audience by seeing it??
Then there are the random beeps and cuts, as if the only purpose of the board is to censor. If that's the case, then just certify it with an age rating and be done with it. Why throw months of editing and creative choices into the trash just to satisfy the egos of a few people? How does it make any sense to cut even an A-certified film???
Weirdly, violence, SA scenes, and political propaganda can get a UA certificate with little or no cuts, but consensual intimacy is where they draw the line.
With Toxic coming out, I have a weird feeling they're going to butcher it left, right, and centre simply because it's sensual in nature. Watch them mute dialogues, trim intimate scenes, and make random cuts that completely ruin the flow of the film .Probably will never get to see the original visiion at least in India.
before anyone misunderstands me: this isn't anti-Army in any way.
I have immense respect for the Indian Armed Forces. They defend our borders, risk their lives, and the medals, memorials and public respect they receive are absolutely deserved.
But this made me wonder about something.
Sanitation workers also perform dangerous public service. They keep our hospitals, schools, railway stations and cities functioning. Sanitation workers don't just clean streets or empty drains, they help prevent epidemics before they begin, protect drinking water from contamination, keep hospitals and other essential services safe, and reduce the spread of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and severe diarrhoeal illnesses. Their work protects entire communities, especially children and other vulnerable populations.
In India, people still die cleaning sewers and septic tanks. According to the Government of India, 332 sanitation workers died during hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning between January 2021 and June 2026.
So what I'm trying to understand:
I'm not saying soldiers deserve less respect.
I'm asking why we don't seem to extend that same culture of honour to sanitation workers, firefighters, disaster response personnel, or others who also risk or sometimes lose their lives serving society.
Is it because military sacrifice is more visible? Because of history and nationalism? Because sanitation work has historically been associated with caste and therefore remained socially invisible? Or is there another reason I'm missing?
Children often say, "I want to become a soldier," and society celebrates that aspiration. But I've almost never heard a child say, "I want to become a sanitation worker." In fact, many people would probably react with surprise or even discomfort if they did.
We have nationally recognised military honours like the Param Vir Chakra and Ashoka Chakra for extraordinary sacrifice. Is there any equivalent national honour for sanitation workers or other essential public servants who die in the line of duty?
If sanitation workers perform work that is essential for public health and cities literally cannot function without them, why isn't that profession seen as equally dignified?
I stumbled upon the album of the film Amar of Abhishek. Tried the film since the songs were really good. But my God, the man cannot act to save his life. Truly atrocious.
Went in for Bad Manners hoping Suri would help him out. The film would have done so much better if it had cast anyone else, literally anyone else, in his role. Like, I mean, Suri cast Saptami, a swimmer, for a role in Popcorn Monkey Tiger. She was fine. Manvitha, an RJ, for Kendasampige. She was also great, despite not being from acting backgrounds. How could this guy not even get one bit of emotion out of Abhi? Like, what changed? I mean, Suri seems to be so anti-establishment from what I see in his movies and interviews, but to simply cast Abhi for a role just because he was Ambarish's son makes no sense to me.
Someone with this level of experience shouldn't be writing dialogues like those in KGF and Toxic. Lines such as "I am deathed, Chinna," "Fastun ur seatbelts," and "Come together" come across as extremely corny and feel completely out of character.
He should stick to acting. You can clearly see the difference between the dialogues written by Chandramouli and those written by Yash in KGF: Chapter 1 and 2. The quality and tone are noticeably different.
The vibe of the Toxic title announcement and the first announcement was completely different from what we're seeing now. Those had a certain intrigue and style- very pulpy, whereas the recent assets feel forced, corny, and out of place. The difference is hard to ignore.
So, GMS 2 is releasing around the same time as Ramayana, and both have been shot for IMAX.
However, GMS 2 already has strong recall value, and its visuals look absolutely gorgeous despite being made on a much smaller budget. LINK- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmy-Z3dHMd8&t=1s
Because of that, the reception to Ramayana can't afford to be just middling. If the initial buzz is anything less than overwhelmingly positive, it risks getting overshadowed globally. It would be quite ironic if a monster ends up stealing the spotlight from a film about a god.
I've gatekept this series for a long time. Watching all the TOXIC promos, interviews, and hearing about its themes reminded me of it so much, honestly, far more than Peaky Blinders ever did.
I'm talking about Warrior(2019-2023).
This series is absolutely f**king gold. Truly unique and epic. Based on Bruce Lee's writings, it deserved so much more. Sadly, it was cancelled after Season 3, but it still feels complete.
The brother-sister dynamic, the father-son drama, the gangster world, the port setting, drugs, guns, violence, sex almost everything that's been shown and talked about for TOXIC is present in this series. And the action... it's on another level. Genuniely wished the action in TOXIC was something at this level just hoping for the best
I'm not saying TOXIC will be like Warrior story-wise. But I genuinely hope the film gives me the same feeling I had when I finished this series.
If you haven't watched Warrior, I highly recommend checking it out. I think it is available on HBO Max/ JioHotstar.
I Have been confused about the "global release" of Toxic. If it is shot in both English and kannada will both versions be released here?, I saw some reports that the versions are different based on the censored laws.
The films discussed here certainly have their flaws probably the reason they didn't get their due at the box office but I feel they were still far better than many other films from the same actors that went on to become hits.
Navagraha
The only Darshan film I genuinely liked. Darshan absolutely killed it in this role. The concept itself was quite novel for the Kannada film industry at the time. I feel that if they had improved the thrill of the heist and strengthened the cat-and-mouse dynamic between the cops and the thieves, the film might have performed much better.
Rajadhani
Just watch Yash in the pre-climax portions of this film, he was at his absolute best. The film itself was probably a fresh take during an era when gangsters were glorified without much reason. We will probably never get to see Yash in roles like this again.
Chigurida Kanasu
Films like these prove why Shivarajkumar still stands strong among his peers. How does one go from Om and AK 47 to a film like this? It has a great soundtrack, and it really makes me wish we got more adaptations of novels in Kannada cinema.
Kaddipudi
Suri's best work. Also, an absolutely banger soundtrack.
Popcorn Monkey Tiger
I know many people don't like this film, but my God, it was something special. Nobody understands the pulse of Bengaluru and its politics better than Suri. However, I think the success of Tagaru worked against it. The editing felt heavily compromised, you can clearly see that a lot was cut out, making parts of the narrative feel out of sync. The reverse narration wasn't the problem; the editing was. It felt forced rather than necessary.
Also, why does the KD soundtrack exist while Popcorn Monkey Tiger's OST remains unreleased? Why is Charan Raj not releasing it? Watch the film for the soundtrack alone you'll be blown away.
Prithvi
The best Puneeth Rajkumar film, in my opinion. It was tailor-made for him. The unnecessary fight sequence at the end wasn't needed, but this was probably the first truly political film of his career. Great songs too. A simple yet effective film.
Topiwala
Kannada cinema's BRAINROT film. The concepts are genuinely amazing, but the execution wasn't. Honestly, it probably should have been directed by Upendra himself, considering he wrote the story.
KFI is an industry that has evolved over the years, yet there is a pattern I keep noticing. Filmmaking and film techniques often tend to prefer underdog, anti-establishment themessystem versus hero narratives. But behind all of that, the reality is always bending down to the power structure,
Stars like Shivarajkumar, Upendra, PRK, and Darshan, who often project strong messages on screen, don’t always appear to practice what they preach in real life. Then the question arises: why make such cinema in the first place?
The same contradiction shows up in messaging like “Kannada ulisi, Kannada belisi.” On one hand, there is a call to preserve and grow Kannada culture, but on the other, they choose to send their children to foreign schools and private schools, use English-heavy titles, and largely ignore Kannada literature as if it’s outdated or irrelevant.
The industry is capitalist in nature yet claim to make cinema “for the audience.” The contradiction is just on the face. Not one show reduces ticket prices simply because the audience showed up out of love for cinema, Infact they are charged more. A film like Kantara tries to challenge themes of monarchy and concentrated wealth, yet production houses like Hombale raise ticket prices for the general audience for the SAME MOVIE!!!! So who exactly is this cinema ultimately for?
Another issue is the moral policing of heroines who are working in the same commercial-capitalistic industry. Earlier actresses like Soundarya and Prema were not subjected to the same level of scrutiny, but newer actresses like Ashika, Sreeleela, and Chaitra are often judged and shamed. At the end of the day, they are still being cast in the same “commercial heroine” roles, often at higher pay. So what exactly is the issue being raised?
Then there is the issue of nepotism. Outsiders enter the industry knowing the challenges, yet the system continues to promote its own circles. Insiders end up being protected repeatedly, while outsiders are often used only for side roles. Actors like Sudeep and Dhananjaya, despite struggling for years for opportunities, still operate in an environment where the instinct is often to cast “connected” or nepo talent in lead roles. Nothing wrong in it, but then why go on about how they felt bad when the industry ignored them during their struggling time? You are taking a safe bet now, just like how producers took the same safe bet in their time.
The next part may be the same across industries, but I feel it is relevant to KFI as well.
Finally, there is PR-driven morality. It feels inconsistent. There is public concern about animals when it is trending in discourse, but silence when similar issues arise outside the spotlight, especially when the animal issues are from people who align with your political thoughts (IYKYK). Being an animal lover for PR image while remaining non-vegetarian (not a problem, but hypocritical). There is talk about self-acceptance, self-love, manifestation, while simultaneously promoting beauty products, struggles, lies in podcast interviews, live cameras, etc. Environmental concerns are raised when paid campaigns align, yet luxury consumption like bags, cars (buy a Lambo because your competitor has one), watches, etc. (not a single film shows them to be this rich person who likes to show off). The issue is not whether the concern is genuine or not, but why these voices appear primarily when the discourse is popular, and not necessarily when it is actually needed.
Here are some of my opinions on certain stuff in KFI, Based on the comments across social media, I feel i might be in the minority , Just to want check if that is true or not
Was watching Kabzaa for the first time (lost a dare) and realized R. Chandru straight-up lifted a prison fight scene from one of my favorite action films, The Raid 2(Indonesia). Obviously, he took away the soul and craft that made the original prison sequence so great.
Then I came to this weird realization: an industry that spent years making official remakes eventually decided to just ‘freemake’ films instead. How can they claim to be pioneers of cinematic art when they steal not just scenes or characters, but sometimes entire films? At the very least, give the original creators some credit.
This issue has been nagging me since I saw the Hyderabad case where some men got caught by a female undercover cop. My list of such dumbasses in Kannada films:
• Appu in Appu — threatens the female lead, and thinks the best way to get a girl is by stalking, threatening, and harassing her even in her own home. Weirdly, the girl falls in love with him despite his psychotic ways, including threatening to fall to death on rejection from her. Days of harassment are forgiven, Appu gets a happy ending, gets married to her, and even becomes an officer at the end of the film. IF CHARACTERS LIKE THIS CAN BE OFFICERS, NO WONDER WOMEN’S SECURITY IS A JOKE IN THIS COUNTRY.
• Gani in Gaalipata — when this manchild faces rejection for the first time in his life, he thinks the next decision is to not live anymore. If this was not enough, Obiously he tries to manipulate Soumya by letting his parents and her in-laws pressure her into marrying him. I guess toxicity runs deep in friendship, just like how Kitty thinks it is fine to love and marry a girl who just passed 12th grade despite being much older than her.
• Sharath in Googly — typical incel dude, generalizes all women into one dumbass bracket. Slaps the only woman in the Googly universe who actually loves him. The reason for the slap was even more astounding , he slapped her because her male friend saved her life from death. Bro is the actual phenyl in the film.
• Gooli in Kirataka— stalks and harasses a literal 12th-grade child, threatens to ruin her image if she does not accept him. Man has a sister of almost the same age as the female lead. Of course the female lead falls in love with him. If this was not enough, he gets her pregnant within a year of her passing out of school. WTF?
• Chandru in Adhyaksha — man calls the girl a literal child in the entire first half, then thinks it is fine to love her later because she changed her clothes from a school uniform to a saree. Yeno idu? Obio even he gets her pregnant within 6 months. Why, just why?
• Siva in Pogaru — Nandakishore strikes again. I genuinely do not even have words. Why does the “Karabu” song have 300 million views? Who watches a girl get stalked and harassed continuously and enjoys it? Why does every director think all women have Stockholm syndrome,
• Prabhakar in Junglee — man, again, why is every lead a stalker and harasser? This dude even kisses her without consent before a song begins. I would rather watch Duniya Viji and Rangayana Raghu go on a road trip for 2 more hours than watch this shit.
• Kubera in Vaastu Prakara— this dude kisses the female lead without consent and then casually states that he asked permission from the moon.
• Upendra in all Upendra movies — man has SA’d a female lead in almost every single film he directed and acted in. Glad atleast he is more progressive in real life.
The worst is when I saw people cheer for darshan in the devil (2025) when he SAes a female in the film.
How is it that the only female directors I can name are Roopa Rao, Sindhu Murthy, and Sumana Kittur in an industry that is at least 75 years old? I know this is a national issue, but this sucks.
The Malayalam and Tamil film industries have a handful of directors/actors in the age group of 20 to 30. Why does our industry lack talent from this age bracket?
The problem with these characters is that all of them get happy endings. No consequences for their criminal activities. At least give them some consequences for their actions, man Some form of justice, Like I guess in Om where satya looses his leg for his rowdy activites
For an industry that gloats about how films like Bangarada Manushya got people to quit their jobs and join agriculture, or how Raajakumara reduced the number of people admitting elders into care homes, it also needs to take some credit/shame for crime too.
I was recently watching Yogaraj Bhat’s earlier works, and they felt like great comfort movies. However, not a single film after Drama truly felt like a Yogaraj Bhat movie. I tried watching Garadi, but I couldn’t sit through even 20 minutes of it. I don’t understand why he shifted from that zone of filmmaking to whatever he is making now.
