Kurukshetra’s Hindi dubbing rights sold for epic 9 crore

Munirathna’s ambitious film Kurukshetra, helmed by director Naganna, is currently on the floors and there is history being made. It is only half way through the shoot, and its Hindi dubbing rights alone have been sold for a whopping Rs 9 crore.

Interestingly, there were many keen on winning the rights, but the deal was finally closed by Aditya, and the payment has been made too.

Our source says, “There was always a demand and investors had initially quoted Rs 4 crore. Then there was a sort of a bidding battle, and finally the deal was closed at an astonishing Rs 9 crore. This must be a record in Kannada industry and it raises the bar for Sandalwood. Usually, Tamil and Telugu dubbing rights are sold for a huge price. This bidding for a Hindi dubbing price is a first in Sandalwood.”

Kurukshetra's cast consists mostly of Kannada actors, including Darshan as Duryodhana, Arjun Sarja as Karna, Ravichandran as Krishna, Nikhil as Abhimanyu and Ambareesh as Bheeshma, and Srinath, Anant Nag, Srinivas Murthy, Ravi Shankar, Bharati Vishnuvardhan, Hariprriya, along with Sonu Sood, Danish Akhtar and Sneha. The producer Munirathna is said to have made an investment of approximately Rs 80 crore at present, and we hear that budget will not be limited.

The shoot is progressing on a grand set at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, and going by reports it seems to be shaping into a movie that will be discussed nationally. Industry insiders say that expectations are high and they are likely to be met. They believe that the profits even before the movie’s release from satellite rights, dubbing rights and distribution rights will total to Rs 100 crore, which should cover the investment made and enough profits.

Kurukshetra may ring in Rs 20 crores from dubbing rights in all languages, including in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Add to this the money made from Kannada satellite rights and music rights, and the team is looking at a big return on investment.

The 3D film may make at least Rs 10 lakh each from 60 theatres in Karnataka, and the first week’s collection is expected to touch Rs 15 to 20 crore. Including the distribution rights for Karnataka and across India, and the proceeds from its release in overseas market, the movie should have an outstanding run.

The historical film written by JK Bharavi is based on the Indian epic Mahabharata, with the story shedding light on the character Duryodhana. The movie has music by V Harikrishna and cinematography by JayaVincent. As for the CGI works, which is currently being worked on, the filmmakers have hired the team who worked in Baahubali. Johny Harsha is at the edit desk, Kiran Kumar is in charge of the art work and King Solomon is setting its action sequences.

Kurukshetra is likely to see a 2018 release, possibly around Sankranti.