Athadu

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Athadu
Directed by Trivikram Srinivas
Produced by Jayabheri Kishore,
Murali Mohan
Written by Trivikram Srinivas
Starring Mahesh Babu,
Trisha Krishnan,
Prakash Raj,
Sonu Sood,
Sayaji Shinde,
Brahmanandam
Music by Mani Sharma
Cinematography K.V. Guhan
Editing by Sreekar Prasad
Release date(s) August 10, 2005
Running time 172 min.
Country India
Language Telugu
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Athadu ( dubbed in Tamil as Nandhu and in Malayalam as Target): అతడు) is a 2005 Tollywood film produced by Jayabheri Kishore and Murali Mohan and directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The movie stars Mahesh Babu, Trisha Krishnan, Sonu Sood and Prakash Raj. The movie soundtrack was scored by Mani Sharma. The film released on August 10, 2005. It became one of the highest grossers in 2005 in Tollywood. The movie was later dubbed into Malayalam with the title "The Target".

Contents

[edit] Plot

Nanda Gopal / Nandu(Mahesh Babu) is a professional assassin who partners up with Malli (Sonu Sood). He charges around 1-2 crores for a murder. A party leader Shiva Reddy (Sayaji Shinde) wants someone to attempt an assassination on him so that he could get more votes through sympathy. So Shiva Reddy's colleague Baji Reddy hooks him up with Nandu for a deal. On the day of the murder attempt, before Nandu gets to shoot Shiva Reddy, someone else fatally shoots Shiva Reddy. Nandu did not pull the trigger so he knows it was not him. Within minutes, police surround the building. Just before the exit of the building, a big car accident occurs on the street with Nandu's car. Nandu assumes that Malli got trapped and died in the accident. So Nandu goes to the top of the skyscraper. With the police behind him and in front of him, he is helpless. Suddenly a train comes and Nandu uses a rope to jump from the skyscraper to the train. There, Nandu meets Pardhu (Rajeev Kanakala), a talkative guy. Pardhu reveals that he ran away from his village, Basarlapudi, when he was young because he thought he was responsible for a boy's death in the graveyard. Pardhu explains that he is finally returning to his village. Later that same evening, police while pursuing Nandu accidentally shoot Pardhu. Nandu escapes and not knowing what to do next, he remembers Pardhu's background. So Nandu goes to Basarlapudi in the identity of Pardhu and Pardhu's family accepts him. Meanwhile, A CBI officer Anjaneya Prasad(Prakash Raj) investigating the murder of Shiva Reddy comes across Nandu alias Pardhu. He suspects Nandu of Shiva Reddy's murder.He tries takin nandu's fingerprints unconventionally but nandu outsmarts him. Soon clues lead up to Malli but he is dead. Meanwhile in Barslapudi, after the marriage of the daughter's was over, the CBI come because they find out that Nandu is not Pardhu and suspect that Nandu is the killer. Nandu learns of the situation and flees. After the CBI leave, Nandu returns to explain everything: who is he and how the real Pardhu got killed. At first the family shows no interest in helping Nandu to find the real assassin as they are all shocked but the grandfather (Nassar) helps Nandu by giving him a gun.

Mahesh Babu and Trisha from the film.
Mahesh Babu and Trisha from the film.

Nandu calls Baji Reddy and demands who killed Shiva Reddy. At first, Baji Reddy refuses but after Nandu tells him that he recorded their first conservation on the phone, Bajji Reddy reveals everything. It was Malli who killed Shiva Reddy for 2 crores. He faked his death by sending a drunkard in the car at the time of the accident. Nandu records that conversation and immediately leaves for the old church, where Malli is. Nandu and Malli meet and Nandu has the gun loaded before Malli. But the same policemen who killed Pardhu barged in. Nandu manages to kill all of them and also kills Malli at the same time. Nandu hands over the recorded cassette to the CBI officer. The CBI go directly to Bajji Reddy's office and tells him that he will hand him over to the police. Bajji Reddy thinks he's bluffing. Shiva Reddy has a son (Ajay) who wants to avenge his father's murder. Afraid that if his son were to discover that the nicest person was his father's murderer, he would behead him, Baji Reddy commits suicide. In the last scene, Nandu immerses Pardhu's ashes and the CBI officer lets him go to Pardhu's real family, where he plans to stay forever.

This movie is little bit based on Salman Khan starrer Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Crew

[edit] Music

The film has six songs composed by Mani Sharma:

  • Adharaku - Vishwa
  • Chandamama - Mahalakshmi Iyer & Ranjith

[edit] Awards

[edit] Nandi Awards

[edit] Santosham Film Awards

[edit] Filmfare Awards

[edit] Release

The film was released with 6 prints in U.S.A.[1] and in 3 screens in Chennai.[2]

[edit] Box-office performance

  • The film netted Rs.1.05 million from 3 screens in Chennai in its opening weekend debuting at no. 2.[3].
  • It collected a distributors' share of Rs.220 million in its total run,thus becoming the sensational hit of 2005 in Tollywood.[4]Its satellite rights were sold for Rs.1.8 crores.[5]
  • The film had a 100-day run in 38 centres.[6].The film had a 175-day run in Sudarshan 35mm, Hyderabad.[7],grossing Rs.10.4 million from the theatre.[8]

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • For the first time in a South Indian film, a total of 120 cameras were used at the same time to shoot the climax sequence.[9]
  • There were many cuts edited out of the film, dealing with the last fight in the church.[10]
  • This film will be remade in Hindi with Bobby Deol, Shriya Saran and Nana Patekar[11] . It's officially titled as Ek - the power of one
  • It was dubbed and released in Tamil as Nandhu. Also dubbed in Malayalam as Target.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Cycle Stand - Telugu Cinema Trade Story
  2. ^ Chennai Box-Office (Aug 12-15) - Sify.com
  3. ^ Chennai Box-Office (Aug 12-15) - Sify.com
  4. ^ CineGoer.com - News Archives - January 2006
  5. ^ Athadu satellite rights for 1.8 crores
  6. ^ Nonstopcinema Box Office - Athadu 100 days centers : Telugu movies, tollywood, cinema
  7. ^ CineGoer.com - Box-Office Records And Collections - Maheshbabu's 175-Day Centres List
  8. ^ CineGoer.com - News Archives - January 2006
  9. ^ allindiansite.com. 120 cameras for Athadu climax. Retrieved on 8 December 2006.
  10. ^ idlebrain.com. Censor cuts for Athadu. Retrieved on 31 October 2006.
  11. ^ indiafm.com. Nana & Bobby in Athadu remake. Retrieved on 31 October 2006.

[edit] External links