Having been summarily described as the most chauvinistic and hidebound group of people, the Karnataka film personalities are no realizing the folly off their move to impose a moratorium of seven weeks on other language films.

The realization now is that there is very little entertainment to be had without new movies from elsewhere ---- the quality of Kannada movies leaves a lot to be desired. And most of them are anyway re-makes from other languages.

But with other language filmmakers also hitting back, there was strong feeling that whole ill-conceived plan might boomerang on themselves. Moreover, exhibitors in Karnataka itself were not happy with the moratorium and the Supreme Court too had some serious things to say on the matter.

So a new formula has been worked out: New Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films will be released in Karnataka three weeks after they are screened in the rest of the country. The number of prints will be limited to six (a maximum of 12 theaters) in the entire state.

Producers have also decided to exempt Chiranjeevi-starrer Shankardada MBBS under the new formula.

So the doc’s medicine seems to have worked.