RRR vs James: Puneeth Rajkumar's brother Shivarajkumar is upset with SS Rajamouli's film

Puneeth Rajkumar's elder brother Shivarajkumar is disappointed over the removal of James from the theatres, which is his brother Puneeth Rajkumar’s last film

Shivarajkumar, a Kannada actor-producer, has expressed his anger and displeasure over the removal of James, his brother Puneeth Rajkumar's latest film, from theatres in Karnataka. Many theatres in Karnataka opted to stop showing James, making space for SS Rajamouli, Ram Charan, Jr NTR's big-budget RRR on Friday, March 25.

Speaking at the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, Shivarajkumar said that it was disheartening to see the removal of James that is doing well at the box office.

The actor noted that sharing screens across theatres has always been a problem, and it is impossible to tell who is correct or incorrect in this subject. Shivarajkumar further stated that James is attracting a sizable crowd to theatres and would continue to be shown in 270 multiplexes and theatres.

Image: Still from the movie

Released in March this year, James was directed by Chethan Kumar. It features the late Puneeth Rajkumar and Priya Anand in the lead roles. James was a major commercial success at the box office, breaking the record for many Kannada films on its first day, garnering Rs 36 crore. The film raked in Rs 140 crores at the box office within five days of its release.

Puneeth Rajkumar appeared in many popular Kannada movies, including Abhi,  Mourya, Aakash, Ajay, Arasu, Vamshi, Veera Kannadiga, and Raam, among others. Puneeth was also ranked among the highest-paying actors in the Kannada Cinema.

Puneeth Rajkumar was just 46 when he passed away due to cardiac arrest on October 29. The government of Karnataka announced to posthumously honour him with Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award in the state.

Recently, the University of Mysuru on Tuesday conferred an Honorary doctorate on late actor Puneeth Rajkumar. His wife Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar took to her Instagram account and thanked the University of Mysuru for having conferred Doctor of Literature (Posthumously) on Puneeth Rajkumar.