Kannada cinema set for a busy September: ‘America America 2’, ‘Video’, ‘City Lights’ and ‘Heggana Muddu’

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(Clockwise) ‘America America 2’, ‘Heggana Muddu’, ‘City Lights’ and ‘Video’.

After a dull first half of the year, the Kannada film industry is yet again bracing up for a packed second half. After the release of the magnum opus Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups on August 26, 2026, September is set to be a packed month for Sandalwood.

In fact, the multiple postponements of Toxic, starring Yash and directed by Geetu Mohandas , forced other smaller films to change their release plans. Toxic, a period gangster drama also starring Rukmini Vasanth, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, Nayanthara and Kiara Advani, was supposed to release on March 19, 2026, which was later postponed to June 04, 2026. However, the big-budget movie again got pushed to August 26, 2026.

The uncertainty around Toxic meant that other small-scale movies had to rethink their release strategies to ensure they got a proper release window. Director Srinidhi Bengaluru’s Video, which was completed quite a while ago, has finally got a release date—the found-footage horror drama, from the team of the impressive time-travel thriller Blink , will hit the screens on September 11, 2026. The film, produced by actor Dheekshith Shetty, might revive the horror genre in the Kannada film industry.

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Video will clash with America America 2 at the box office. The spiritual sequel to the 1997 classic marks the return of veteran director Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, who last made India vs England (2020). Apart from an intense love triangle, America America also showcased Indians’ pursuit of the American Dream, at the cost of emotional isolation. America America 2 stars Pruthvi Ambaar, Shanvi Srivastava and Nirup Bhandari.

Duniya Vijay , who played the protagonist in the gritty village drama Landlord (2026) , returns to the director’s chair with City Lights. With Vinay Rajkumar and Monisha, Vijay’s younger daughter, in the lead, the movie hits the screens on September 18, 2026.

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The film revolves around two innocent people whose lives change dramatically when they move to a big city. The Charan Raj musical marks Vijay’s third directorial after Salaga (2021) and Bheema (2024). The movie is Vinay’s second release of the year after the village drama Graamaayana , which came out on July 03, 2026.

Heganna Muddu hits the screens in the last week of September. Produced by actor Daali Dhananjaya, Heggana Muddi, starring Poornachandra Mysore and Aditi Sagar, will release on Septemebr 25.

The movie is Dhananjaya’s third production of the year after JC: The University and Mother Promise. Both movies failed to create magic at the box office. Mother Promise, the directorial debut of Poornachandra Mysore , fizzled out after a strong opening at the box office.