Way Before KGF, This Kannada Film Created a Furore at Tamil Nadu Box Office

While the nation is gearing up for KGF: Chapter 2, it is interesting to note the pan-India appeal of the KGF franchise and how well it is being received in non-Kannada markets. Even if we take the south Indian film industry, it is not very common for movies from a different industry to do exceptionally well in another region. KGF: Chapter 1 did quite well in Tamil Nadu. Mainly in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi, it became the highest-grossing Kannada film.

With Thalapathy Vijay’s Beast and KGF: Chapter 2 heading for a clash at the box office this weekend, it is interesting to note that Tamil Nadu is equally excited for the Yash-starrer as much as it is for Beast. In fact, with the release of Vijay’s Beast on April 13, its naysayers have started circulating messages on the internet in support of KGF. Many believe that this is the first time a Kannada film has received critical acclaim in Tamil Nadu. But it has happened before. About 45 years ago, a Kannada film starring Kamal 1977 ran for 140 days in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. The film is Balu Mahendra’s first film Kokila.

Balu Mahendra, a Sri Lankan Tamil, studied cinematography at the Pune Film College and made his cinematic debut with the Kannada film Kokila. Perhaps the reason the movie did outstanding business in Tamil Nadu was the fact that the film starred Tamil star Kamal Haasan in the lead role as well as Mohan, who would later become a successful Tamil actor.

Despite not knowing Kannada at that time, Kamal dubbed in his voice. The movie depicted an affair between a bank executive and a maid working in the home he stayed as a paying guest. Kokila was remade into Malayalam as Oomakkuyil and in Hindi as Aur Ek Prem Kahani both by Mahendra himself.

The film ran to packed houses for 140 days in Chennai back in 1977 and has been the only Kannada film to date to run for 100 days. Its popularity has been matched only by KGF: Chapter 1 and it remains to be seen if KGF: Chapter 2 surpasses it.

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