The Karnataka state government has cancelled this year’s Dasara film festival, citing low public turnout and financial constraints. Deputy Commissioner G Lakshmikanth Reddy said audiences have been poor for five years, with only three to five viewers in some theatres and the event costing Rs 40‑45 lakh annually. The decision has angered film lovers and prompted protests from veteran filmmakers, including director SV Rajendra Singh Babu.
Cultural associations accused the government of diverting the festival’s budget to organise kambala, for which Rs 8 crore is earmarked.
Veteran personalities, led by SV Rajendra Singh Babu, lodged a protest, arguing that cancelling the festival demotivates artists while the state builds a film city at Immavu industrial area near Mysuru to boost Kannada cinema. They urged the government to rethink the move and blamed it for excluding experts, Kannada directors and artists from the Dasara film festival sub‑committee in recent years.
The festival typically required Rs 40‑50 lakh to run. In the 2025 Dasara edition, the sub‑committee screened 17 world‑cinema titles, 25 Indian films, 18 Kannada movies and nine award‑winning works by women and children, and annually selected the best films to encourage emerging talent.
“Dropping the festival this year has really upset individuals involved in film and theatre production, especially those making short films, and discouraged them from continuing in film production as film not only educates, entertains and spreads awareness but also builds bridges between cultures,” said Manu, organiser of the Rangayana Bahuroopi Film Festival.