Kaala updates: Rajinikanth plead in Kannada to release his film in Karnataka

Bengaluru: As the release of Rajinikanth-starrer Kaala hits a roadblock in Karnataka, the 67-year-old Tamil superstar has now made a fervent appeal in Kannada to various stakeholders for the screening of the action film in theatres across the state. The film is facing a "ban" in the state over Rajinikanth's remarks on the controversial issue of sharing of Cauvery river water between the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Upset over the 67-year-old actor-politician's remarks, the highest film body of Karnataka, Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce, banned the movie. Several pro-Kannada groups have also warned theatres not to screen the film if they want to avoid any untoward incident. However, on Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court asked the state government to provide security to theatres that want to screen Kaala in Tamil and other versions from Thursday. But looking at the strong reactions against Kaala by several influential political and film personalities, no theatre is likely to screen the film. The state government told the court that its order will be followed.

However, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy "as an individual" suggested that the timing wasn't right for the film's release. Looking at all these roadblocks against Kaala, Rajinikanth decided to make a desperate final attempt by appealing to the state film body in Kannada for the release of the movie. "The film chamber is supposed to ensure that there's no problem for distributors. It is not right that the Karnataka Film Chamber demands Kaala ban," Rajinikanth said in Kannada. Rajinikanth share a strong connection with Karnataka as he grew up and worked as a bus conductor in Bengaluru before shifting to Chennai as a film actor. Rajinikanth in his message to the Karnataka CM said, "I understand HD Kumaraswamy's situation. This is not good for Karnataka. When the film is released around the world, the Karnataka ban would highlight the issue (Cauvery water dispute)".