The start of the new year hasn't been too kind to Kannada cinema at the box office. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, with some films flopping completely and others just barely scraping by, leaving fans with little to celebrate. This week, three Kannada films are hitting the theaters – two thrillers and a commercial flick – and their success will really hinge on word-of-mouth to attract audiences.

On the OTT front, there aren't any new Kannada originals dropping this week. But there are a couple of dubbed films that might catch your eye.

Check out the Kannada movies and their dubbed versions in theaters and streaming from January 20 to 26

Rudhra Garuda Purana

Rishi plays Inspector Rudhra, a detective brought in to crack a puzzling case that has left the police scratching their heads. The son of a current MLA has vanished, last seen getting on a bus with his girlfriend. A week goes by with no sign of him, and Rudhra is on a mission to uncover the truth. Things take a twist when he discovers that the bus the boy supposedly boarded hasn’t been operational for 25 years, adding another layer to the mystery. The film is helmed by KS Nandeesh.

Hitting theaters on: January 24, 2025

Forest

A thick forest hides a secret treasure, leading five villagers on a funny and thrilling adventure. They have to outwit a famous crook and a ghost that's protecting the loot. Will they manage to uncover the treasure? The film, directed by Chandramohan, features Aniish, Chikkanna, Gurunandan, Archan Kottige, Rangayana Raghu, and more.

Hitting theaters on: January 24, 2025

Royal

Dinakar Thoogudeepa is back in the director's chair after Life Jothe Ondu Selfie, and this time he’s got Viraat leading the cast, with Sanjana Anand and Chaya Singh playing his mother. The official synopsis reveals that the story follows Krishna, a talented con artist who gets nabbed by the cops and ends up at the home of Siddarth, the comatose chairman of SSF Company. With the company that his mother helped establish on the brink of failure, Krishna has to step up to save it and make her dreams come true.

Hitting theaters on: January 24, 2025

Barroz

Mohanlal, the Malayalam superstar, made his directorial debut with Barroz, which hit theaters for Christmas 2024 but didn’t do well at the box office. Now, it’s making its way to OTT. The 3D movie features Mohanlal as Barroz, a treasure guardian who’s been waiting ages to pass on his secrets to the rightful heir of Da Gama. Plus, the original Malayalam version will also have a Kannada audio option 

Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
Streaming date: 22 January, 2025

Thiru Manickam

Director Nandha Periyasamy's latest film stars Samuthirakani as a struggling lottery vendor and his family. Samuthirakani plays Manickam, a guy weighed down by family duties. He has a lottery ticket he sold that could change everything for them, but he never got paid for it. The big question is: will he resort to claiming it as his own, or will he figure out a different solution? This Tamil film will also be available in a Kannada version.

Streaming on: Zee5
Streaming Date: 24 January, 2025

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