'Ghost' Set to haunt Karnataka box office this Dasara

S Shyam Prasad | NT

Bengaluru: This Dasara, amidst the release of several high-budget non-Kannada films and their dubbed Kannada versions, Srini's directorial, "Ghost," starring Shiva Rajkumar, is poised to reign supreme in theaters across Karnataka.

Alongside "Ghost," films like Vijay's Tamil offering, "Leo," Ravi Teja's Telugu production, "Tiger Nageswara Rao," Balayya's "Bhagavanth Kesari," and the Hindi film "Ganpath" featuring Tiger Shroff are competing for a share of the Dasara festival holiday box office.

In the opening weekend, these five films will equally divide showtimes across 72 multiplexes throughout Karnataka. However, in the single-screen theaters, "Ghost" is expected to face minimal competition, according to distributor Jayanna, who is handling both "Ghost" and "Tiger Nageswara Rao" in Karnataka.

As of this weekend, 250 single screens will feature "Ghost," while "Leo" will be screened in 110 of them. Approximately 50 single screens each are reserved for "Bhagavanth Kesari" and "Tiger Nageswara Rao."

"Ganpath" will contend with only about 20-25 single screens. The remaining single screens are also likely to lap up one of these five new films in the same proportions. Jayanna mentioned, "Most of the demand for 'Leo' is in Bengaluru and some parts of Mysuru.

The two Telugu films have more significant demand than 'Leo' in Kolar and some districts. But even with these big non-Kannada releases coinciding, 'Ghost' will have a screen count akin to 'Jailer' (Rajinikanth's recent release) which was a ‘solo release’ and on par with major Kannada releases like 'KGF2."

"Ghost" is a heist thriller featuring Shiva Rajkumar, Anupam Kher, Jayaram, and others. Given the limited number of star-studded Kannada releases in the first half of 2023, "Ghost" has emerged as one of the most eagerly awaited films for fans who have been craving high-voltage star content.