The Kannada film industry, which traditionally depended on theatrical collections, satellite rights, and dubbing rights for revenue, has seen a drastic decline in its income sources. While OTT rights briefly emerged as an additional revenue stream, the industry has now lost earnings from box office, OTT platforms, and satellite rights. This has forced filmmakers to rely heavily on government subsidies. In this difficult climate, a surprising and shocking incident has further rattled the industry’s hopes for revival: a Kannada film’s satellite rights were reportedly sold to a TV channel for just one rupee.
Television channels have gradually stopped purchasing broadcasting rights for Kannada films, even those featuring major stars. The recent deal, where a channel acquired rights for a token amount of one rupee plus GST, covers only two telecasts of the film. Sources indicate the channel made the purchase based on the recommendation of a star actor, while the film’s producers likely agreed for the sake of prestige or to ensure some audience viewership. Once, “one rupee” was a joking term implying a crore, but now it’s literal—a sign of the struggling industry.
This trend reflects deeper changes in the industry’s business model. Just as Doordarshan once sold time slots to serial producers who then earned through advertisements, private channels may soon adopt a similar approach for films. Instead of buying film rights outright, channels might sell fixed broadcasting slots to filmmakers, allowing them to insert their own ads during airing. If this model becomes widespread, it could further impact the Kannada film industry, especially small-budget films, making traditional satellite rights sales nearly impossible and pushing the industry toward new, uncertain dynamics.
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