Dubbing controversy in kannada film industry-A fight between freedom of expression and consumer rights

This paper tries to focus on the different aspects of dubbing controversies in Kannada Film industry. The ban on dubbing was imposed soon after the birth of Kannada Film Industry in the 1940s. Dubbing has been seen as a hurdle for the growth of Kannada film industry. Thus there was an informal ban on dubbing movies on Karnataka and industry followed it as social custom. But in recent years, the public expressed their quality consciousness about the movies and they have diversified interest towards the language. They united under consumer forums and started to insist that the Kannada Film Industry to allow dubbing in Kannada during the year 2006. Kannada Grahakara Okkoota (A forum of pro dubbing citizens) says that `it is the right of every Kannadiga to watch a movie in their language’. But the film fraternity who are in support of dubbing claims that it is not a violation of consumer law rather it is expression of the views and observations made by the people associated with Kannada film industry and it should be appreciated as the right to freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution of India. Here in this paper the researcher has tried to analyze the language, cultural, economics and consumer rights aspects involved in the controversy.