Director: K. Balachander; Producer: K. Nagababu; Cinematographer: R. Raghunath Reddy; Editor: Ganesh Kumar; Cast: Chiranjeevi, Shobana, Gemini Ganesan, P.L. Narayana, Prasadbabu, Brahmanandam Kanneganti, Sumitra, Kakinada Shyamala, Devi Lalitha, Janaki, Ramadevi, Vaidehi, Ramesh Aravind, Kaikala Satyanarayana, Mikkilineni Jagadish Babu, Pasupuleti Ramarao, Kondapaneni Umamaheswara Rao, A. Balareddy, B. Jaya
Duration: 03:16:45; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 44.245; Saturation: 0.139; Lightness: 0.248; Volume: 0.157; Cuts per Minute: 14.484
Summary: Reformist Chiranjeevi movie addressing caste
in a calculated effort to achieve greater critical
respectability for the star (cf. Swayamkrushi,
1987; Apathbandhavudu, 1992). The
Brahmin Suryam (Chiranjeevi) is trained in
music by his father, the reputed Carnatic
musician Ganapathi Sastry (Ganesh). However,
the father believes that music constitutes an
end in itself, while the son is committed to
uplifting the masses. Suryam falls for the Dalit
woman Lalitha (Shobhana), but his father’s
disapproval forces him to leave home. Suryam
becomes a political figure leading campaigns
advocating prohibition and starts local
cooperative movements. The father is betrayed
by his new disciple, who demands to learn a
rare raga as a dowry for marrying his daughter.
The end has the Prime Minister of the country
publicly congratulating Suryam for his actions
while the father recants and publicly
acknowledges that his son’s ideals were the
better ones. The film was awarded the ‘Nargis
Dutt National Integration’ award from the
national film jury.
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