Actor-director Tej clarified in a press conference that there is no controversy surrounding the title of his pan-Indian film DUDE, which is being made in Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam languages. He stated, “The title DUDE has been officially registered for my film.”
Tej had originally planned to release DUDE in Kannada and simultaneously dub and release it in Telugu and Malayalam. However, he expressed some disappointment when he found out that the title DUDE had also been registered by Mythri Movie Makers. He took a strong stance on the matter and with the support of Dodmane Raghanna and the Film Chamber, he successfully resolved the issue in his favor.
Tej reflected on the broader issue, saying, “With the rise of the pan-India movie making and release concept, such title-related problems have become quite common. Many film teams suffer because the same title gets registered in multiple languages. Tensions rise only when it’s time for release.”
He also recalled his early experiences: “I worked with Shankar Nag sir when I was very young. From that time, I’ve observed the industry closely. We should proudly speak about how legends like Dr. Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan sir had films that went pan-India even back then.”
Addressing speculation about a film by Anurag Kashyap and Sujay Shastri also titled DUDE, Tej clarified, “That film is about emotional bonding. Ours is a full-fledged commercial entertainer, and there’s no connection between the two. That’s an important clarification.”
Speaking about the core theme of his film, Tej said, “DUDE shows how strong women are. It portrays how they bravely face challenges and rise above them.”
He concluded by saying, “Our DUDE will be ready by October, and we are planning to release it in the same month.”
