BANGALORE: The Kannada film producers and their supporters will meet in Hubli on Saturday, 18 September to force theatre owners to release a Kannada film.

The film in question, Upendra-starrer Omkara, is scheduled for release on 18 September. The release of the movie coincides with the star's birthday and the opening day of the Ganesha festival.

The producers along with a lot of support from the actor's fraternity reportedly including the doyen of the Kannada film industry - Rajkumar will stage a protest march in Hubli starting from Kittur Rani Channama Circle to Lakshmi Shetty Theater.

The meeting is to ensure that Omkara is released in North Karnataka districts. The producers have reportedly placed ads for release of Omkara in six theaters in North Karnataka, one each in Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Bellary, Gadag and Bagalkot.

In response to the Kannada Film Exhibitors Federation's (KEFF) request for police protection, the director general of police has reportedly assured the organisation that nobody could force them to release the film and that they would prevent the film fraternity and the crowd from gate-crashing.

KFPA president Basant Kumar Patil is quoted in media reports as saying, "How can they (theatres) not release the movie when the rest of the state is. We will ensure that it is released."

Meanwhile, actor politician Ambarish who was brought in to mediate and sort the issue is meeting all the three directly effected parties - KFPA, exhibitors and distributors on 17 September.