Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (2012)

In the early nineteenth century, the small kingdom of Kittur in north Karnataka refuses to bow to the East India Company. Its queen, Rani Chennamma, leads a famous revolt, and among her most loyal soldiers is Sangolli Rayanna. When Kittur is defeated, Rayanna refuses to accept British rule and raises a guerrilla force of villagers to fight on, becoming a legend among the people. Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna is a big-budget historical epic made to honour one of Karnataka's best-loved freedom fighters, with Darshan in the title role and Jaya Prada as Rani Chennamma, and its battle scenes and patriotic speeches made it one of the major Kannada hits of 2012.