Sri Ramadasu
| Sri Ramadasu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | K. Raghavendra Rao |
| Produced by | Konda Krishnam Raju |
| Written by |
J. K. Bharavi K. Raghavendra Rao |
| Starring |
Akkineni Nagarjuna Sneha Akkineni Nageswara Rao Sujatha Nassar Nagendra Babu Sarath Babu |
| Music by | M. M. Keeravani |
| Cinematography | S. Gopal Reddy |
| Editing by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Release dates | 30 March 2006 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget |
 12 crore[1] |
| Box office |
32 crore[citation needed] |
Sri Ramadasu is an epic Telugu film released on 30 March 2006 and was directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. The film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna in the lead role and Sneha, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nassar and Nagendra Babu in the supporting roles. Music was composed by M. M. Keeravani, who composed 19 songs for the film. Cinematography and editing were handled by S. Gopal Reddy and Sreekar Prasad respectively. Along with being critically acclaimed, the film became a major hit at box office.
Plot
The film starts with the penance of Sage Bhadra who becomes a hill with the blessings of Lord Rama. In later centuries, Dammakka, the tribal lady and worshiper of Lord Rama unearths and looks after the idols of Rama on the hill and awaits someone who can construct a temple there. On the other hand, Gopanna and his cousin Kamala fall in love and marry after a small conflict with their parents. After the marriage, Tanisha, the emperor of Golconda, with the recommendation of Akkanna and Madanna (the uncles of Gopanna), appoints Gopanna as Tehsildar of Husnabad. Thus, a Muslim who had been the Tehsildar to the place is dethroned for the sake of Gopanna. That ignites disgust among a few groups who attempt to murder Gopanna. However, Dammakka saves him while he lies unconscious on the bank of Godavari. She shows him the place of Bhadragiri and Gopanna becomes an ardent devotee of Rama. After a series of incidents, he decides to construct the Rama Mandir on the hill. He collects funds from people and with the help of Kabirdas, his guru, completes the construction of temple. Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Seetha and Anjaneya live in invisible forms in the place during the construction. They keep on guarding Gopanna until he accomplishes his mission. Thus, with immense bhakthi on Lord Rama, Gopanna becomes Ramadasu.
The enemies of Ramadasu pass on negative message to Tanisha about him, stating that he constructed the temple with money taken from other people without the king's permission. Exasperated, Tanisha imprisons Ramadasu. After many ordeals faced by Ramadasu in prison, Lord Rama and Lakshmana appear to Tanisha in a dream and pay the required amount to him. Then Tanisha releases Ramadasu from prison and discovers that the two who cleared the debt were Lord Rama and Lakshmana. After being released from prison, Ramadasu is frustrated that he never obtained a darshanam (appearance/glimpse) of Rama. He realizes that Rama is in his heart and cuts open his chest. Sri Rama and Sitamma appear from his heart and heal his wounds. Rama offers Gopanna the chance to go to Vaikunta as a living man, a boon granted to few. When Gopanna asks what is there in Vaikunta (The Highest Heaven), Rama says there is only happiness and no need to pray. However, Gopanna can only find happiness in saying Rama's name. As the only man ever to refuse Vaikuntha, Rama grants his wish: Ramadasu's spirit will remain forever in the Bhadrachalam Temple. The movie ends with Kancherla Gopanna, now Sri Ramadasu, looking down fondly at the temple in modern day.
Crew
- Director: K. Raghavendra Rao
- Producer: Konda Krishnam Raju
- Story: J.K. Bharavi
- Screenplay: K. Raghavendra Rao
- Dialogues: J.K. Bharavi
- Cinematography: S. Gopal Reddy
- Music: M. M. Keeravani
- Editing: A. Sreekar Prasad
- Art Director: Bhaskara Raju
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Nagarjuna | Kancherla Gopanna/Bhakta Ramadasu |
| Sneha | Kamala |
| Akkineni Nageswara Rao | Kabirdas |
| Suman | Lord Rama |
| Veda Sastry | Goddess Seeta |
| Vindu Dara Singh | Hanuman |
| Nagendra Babu | Ravana |
| Sarath Babu | Sage Bhadra |
| Sujatha | Dammakka |
| Nassar | Tanisha |
| Jaya Prakash Reddy | Muslim Tahsildar |
Music
The film has nineteen songs composed by M. M. Keeravani:
| Song | Singer(s) |
|---|---|
| "Sri Raghavam" (Traditional) | M. M. Keeravani |
| "Adigo Badradri" | S.P. Balasubramaniam |
| "Hylessa" | M. M. Keeravani, Devi Sri Prasad & Malavika |
| "Antha Ramamayam" | S.P. Balasubramaniam |
| "Isvaku Kula Tilaka" | Shankar Mahadevan |
| "Allah" | Shankar Mahadevan & Vijay Yesudas |
| "Idhigidhigo Na Ramudu" | Sunitha |
| "Charanamulane Nammithi" | Madhu Balakrishnan, K.S. Chitra & Ramachari |
| "Chalu Chalu" | S. P. B. Charan & Sunitha |
| "Nanu Brovamani" | S.P. Balasubramaniam & Sunitha |
| "Sri Rama Rama Ramethi" (Shloka) | M. M. Keeravani |
| "Entho Ruchira" | S.P. Balasubramaniam |
| "Paluke Bangaramayena" | M. M. Keeravani & K.S. Chitra |
| "Shuddha Brahma" | Pranavi |
| "Bhadra Shaila" | Hariharan & K.S. Chitra |
| "Yetheeruga Nanu" | Vijay Yesudas |
| "Thandrimata" | Sunitha |
| "Dasaradhi" | S.P. Balasubramaniam & K.S. Chitra |
| "Mangalam" | Brundham |
Release
Sri Ramadasu was released in 229 screens including 173 in Andhra Pradesh 18 in Karnataka, two in Chennai, one in Mumbai and 25 overseas.[citation needed]
Box-office performance
The film had a 100-day run in 67 centres and collected over 30 crores.[2]
Awards
- Nandi Awards (2006)
- Best Home-viewing Feature Film - Konda Krishnam Raju
- Best Actor - Nagarjuna
- Best Makeup Artist - Ramachandra Rao
- Best Actress (Jury) - Sneha
References
- ↑ "Friday Review Hyderabad : A few hits and many flops". The Hindu. 2006-12-29. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
- ↑ "Magadheera will collect a share of 60 crores - Teluguc inema trade report". Idlebrain.com. 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2012-08-04.