Saarathi

Last updated

Saarathi
Saarathi.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Dinakar Thoogudeepa
Screenplay byDinakar Thoogudeepa
Story byBased on The Lion King (1994)
Dinakar Thoogudeepa
Chinthan A. V.
Produced byK. V. Satya Prakash
Starring Darshan
Deepa Sannidhi
R. Sarathkumar
CinematographyK. Krishna Kumar
Edited byK. M. Prakash
Music by V. Harikrishna
Production
company
Sri Araseshwari Cine Productions
Distributed by Reliance Entertainment
Release date
  • 30 September 2011 (2011-09-30)
Running time
166 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada
Budget7 crore [1]
Box office12.5 crores [2]

Saarathi (English: Charioteer ) is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film written and directed by Dinakar Thoogudeep. It stars Darshan and debutante Deepa Sannidhi in the lead roles. V. Harikrishna scored for the film's background and its soundtrack, while the lyrics were penned by V. Nagendra Prasad.

Contents

The film released theatrically on 30 September 2011 [3] when Darshan was under judicial custody for alleged domestic violence against his wife, Vijayalakshmi. [4] It received three awards at the 2011 Karnataka State Film Awards, including the Best Entertaining Movie. [5] The core plot of the movie was reported to be based on the 1994 animated movie The Lion King . [6] This was the highest-grossing Kannada movie of 2011. [7]

Plot

Raja is an auto driver, who meets and falls in love with Rukmini. However, Rukmini is taken to her hometown Durgakote by her relative Pratap, who wants to marry her. Along with his adopted father and friends, Raja follows Rukmini to Durgakote and finds that she hails from the family of palegars (village chieftan) who rule the place. When Raja visits a temple of Durga, the priest of the temple reveals Raja's past.

Past: Raja is actually Krishna, who is the son of Suryanarayana, the chieftan of the village and Rukmini's mother's brother. One day, Krishna falls into a gorge and is chased by a pack of bulls, but Suryanarayana while trying to save him, falls into the gorge and is killed. With this, Nagappa, Suryanarayana's brother tells Krishna to secretly escape from the village.

Present: Prathap and his father Nagappa also learns about Raja/Krishna's identity from Rukmini, where he kidnaps Raja/Krishna and throws him at the same gorge. Nagappa also reveals that he was the mastermind behind Suryanarayana's death as he wanted to be the village's chieftan and had hired the tribals (who were exiled by Suryanarayana for planning to rob the temple's jewellary) to finish him. Raja/Krishna is chased by the pack of bulls, but is timely saved by the horse, which was gifted by Suryanarayana on his birthday.

Raja/Krishna confronts the tribals and manages to defeat them. Raja/Krishna reaches the Durga temple where he finally exposes Nagappa's involvement in Suryanarayana's death. A fight ensues where Raja/Krishna manages to finish Nagappa and Prathap with the help of villagers. Raja/Krishna and Rukmini finally get married and Raja/Krishna takes over his father's position as the next chieftan.

Cast

Production

Saarathi was initially under the production of Kannada cinema veteran KCN Chandrashekhar, [8] but was later taken up by K. V. Satya Prakash as his first film venture. As a result of which, the film had been in production for over 2 years [9] including 90 days for the shooting and later the film release got delayed owing to actor Darshan's arrest by the police following a complaint of domestic violence by his wife Vijayalakshmi. [10] It was filmed at major South Indian tourist places like Chitradurga, Pondicherry, Chalakudy (in Kerala) and Hyderabad, the film ran 100 days in around 17 theaters. [11]

Soundtrack

The music and background score were composed by V. Harikrishna and lyrics were penned by V. Nagendra Prasad.

Saarathi
Soundtrack album by
Released19 June 2011
Recorded2011
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length23:01
Label Anand Audio
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Kai Mugidhu Yeru" V. Nagendra Prasad Shankar Mahadevan 5:00
2."Manase Manase"V. Nagendra Prasad Vijay Prakash, Shamita Malnad 4:47
3."Vajra Ballalaraya"V. Nagendra Prasad Kailash Kher 4:43
4."Haago Heege"V. Nagendra Prasad Darshan, Vani Harikrishna 4:57
5."Kittappa Kittappa"V. Nagendra Prasad Shamita Malnad, Shankar Mahadevan 4:54
Total length:23:01

Release

The film released in 157 theatres across Karnataka on 30 September 2011, including over 30 in the city of Bangalore, and an additional 20 screens were put up due to its commercial success in the opening weekend.

Home media

The satellite and digital rights were sold to Udaya TV and Sun NXT.

Reception

Critical response

The Times of India scored the film at 4 out of 5 stars and says "Hats off to Darshan for his fabulous performance, excellent dialogue delivery and body language. Debutant Deepa Sannidhi steals your heart with a lively show. Rangayana Raghu, Sharath Lohithashwa, Sharath Kumar, Ajay have given life to their roles. Music is good with V Harikrishnas catchy tunes and Nagendra Prasads lively lyrics. Cinematography by Krishnakumar is eye-catching. Eshwarikumar needs special mention for his brilliant art work". [12]

Sunayana Suresh from  DNA wrote "Cinematography by Krishnakumar is top notch and he's done a great job with the action sequences. Director Dinakar Thoogudeepa has created a film that's well on the lines of big Tollywood entertainers like Magadheera. This film is worth your three hours, go and get entertained". [13] Bangalore Mirror wrote  "Overall, it’s a film to enjoy and one of the better entertainers of the year. But only if you manage to remember that whenever  Darshan says that he protects the people he loves, it is his character that is talking and not the person. Mind it!". [14]

Shreyas Nag from  Deccan Herald wrote "Rangayana Raghu and Bullet Prakash’s timing is just perfect with both of them complementing each other, making the audience laugh their guts off.  Though it is a mass entertainer, the songs and the setting of the location puts it on a par with other big banner movies". [15] News 18 wrote "Tamil actor Sharath Kumar makes a dignified presence in the role of Darshan's father. 'Sarathi' is certainly more than a paisa vasool film. Darshan fans will immensely like it". [16]

Accolades

2011 Karnataka State Film Awards
1st South Indian International Movie Awards


Related Research Articles

V. Harikrishna is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer, playback singer and film producer. He has mainly scored music for Kannada films. After his stint as a programmer and assistant musician, Harikrishna made his debut as an independent composer in actor Darshan's first production venture Jothe Jotheyali in 2006. Since then, he has been scoring for majority of Darshan's films besides working for many other leading production houses. He owns an audio company called "D-Beats" established in 2013 and produces music under his own company starting from the film Bulbul (2013). He has turned into a director with the 2019 Kannada film 'Yajamana'.

<i>Raam</i> (2009 film) 2009 Indian film

Raam is a 2009 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy movie released in 2009 directed by K. Madesh starring Puneeth Rajkumar and Priyamani, who making debut in Kannada cinema. Harikrishna is the music director for the movie. The movie is a remake of 2008 Telugu film Ready.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rangayana Raghu</span> Indian theatre, film actor

Koththuru Chikkarangappa Raghunath, known by his screen name Rangayana Raghu, is an Indian film and stage actor, known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is a recipient of multiple Filmfare Awards South, SIIMA Awards, and two Karnataka State Film Awards.

<i>Paramathma</i> (film) 2011 Indian film

Paramathma is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film written, directed and co-produced by Yogaraj Bhat. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Deepa Sannidhi in the lead roles and was released on 6 October 2011, on the eve of Vijayadashami. Halfway through its production, the film's TV rights was procured for a record 3.5 crore. Even before the release, the film grossed a record amount of over 25 Cr included broadcasting and distribution rights. Since release, the movie has garnered a cult status for its metaphorical narration and out-of-the box storytelling.

<i>Prince</i> (2011 film) 2011 Indian film

Prince is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language action film starring Darshan, Nikita Thukral, and Jennifer Kotwal in the lead roles. The film has been directed and written by Om Prakash Rao and produced by Sandesh Nagaraj under Sandesh Combines. The music was composed by V. Harikrishna. The movie is a remake of the 2006 Telugu film Shock.

<i>Modalasala</i> 2010 Indian film

Modalasala is a 2010 Indian Kannada romantic drama film written and directed by Purushottham C. Somanathapura in his debut, produced by Yogesh Narayan and Mallikarjun Sankangoudar Gadag and stars Yash and Bhama in the lead roles. Rangayana Raghu, Tara, Avinash and Sharan feature in supporting roles.

<i>Hudugaru</i> 2011 Indian film

Hudugaru is a 2011 Kannada-language drama film directed by K. Madesh, starring Puneeth Rajkumar, Srinagar Kitty, Yogesh and Radhika Pandit in the lead roles. The film, which is a remake of the successful 2010 Tamil film Naadodigal, was produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar, with V. Harikrishna having composed the soundtrack and Satya Hegde was the cinematographer. The film released on 5 May 2011 and performed well at the box office.

<i>Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga</i> 2011 Indian film

Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga is a 2011 Kannada movie starring Vijay Raghavendra, Naveen Krishna and Meghana Gaonkar. It is based on a real-life incident in Bangalore's Prakash Nagar in 1985. It is directed by V. Nagendra Prasad. V. Harikrishna has composed the music and 'Safety' Prakash is the cinematographer.

<i>Jaanu</i> (2012 film) 2012 Indian film

Jaanu is a 2012 Kannada romantic action film directed by Preetham Gubbi and produced by Jayanna Combines. Yash and Deepa Sannidhi are the lead actors while Rangayana Raghu, Sadhu Kokila, Shobaraj among others play the supporting roles. V. Harikrishna is the score and soundtrack composer.

<i>Mr. 420</i> 2012 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film

Mr. 420 is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film starring Ganesh and Pranitha Subhash. This film was directed by Prakash Raj and produced by Sandesh Nagaraj under Sandesh films banner. V. Harikrishna is the music composer and R. Giri is the cinematographer. The film made its theatrical release on 19 October 2012.

<i>Kaddipudi</i> 2013 Indian film

Kaddipudi is a 2013 Indian Kannada language crime drama film directed by Duniya Soori and produced by M. Chandru. The screenplay was written by Soori and Rajesh Nataranga and the film stars Shiva Rajkumar as Anand alias Kaddipudi, a rowdy in Bangalore who vows to relinquish his life of crime and lead a normal life. The film also features Radhika Pandit, Rangayana Raghu, Anant Nag, Rajesh Nataranga, Balu Nagendra, Sharath Lohitashwa, Renuka Prasad and Avinash in pivotal roles.

<i>Ambareesha</i> 2014 Indian film

Ambareesha is a 2014 Indian Kannada-language masala film directed and produced by Mahesh Sukhadhare under the Sri Sukhadhare Pictures banner. The film stars Darshan, Rachita Ram, Priyamani and Dr. Ambareesh. The soundtrack and score is composed by V. Harikrishna and the cinematography is by Ramesh Babu.

<i>Super Ranga</i> 2014 Indian Kannada-language action comedy film

Super Ranga is a 2014 Indian Kannada-language action comedy film directed by Sadhu Kokila and produced by K. Manju under the banner K Manju Cinemaas. It stars Upendra and Kriti Kharbanda in lead roles. The supporting cast features Priyanka Rao, Raghu Mukherjee, Hema Chaudhary Doddanna, Rangayana Raghu, Bullet Prakash and Sridhar. The film is a remake of the 2009 Telugu film, Kick. The limited theater release may have contributed to the 35 days of its run with a one-week gap after completing four weeks.

Rajakumari is a 2009 Indian Kannada language drama film directed by S. Govindraj and produced by K. Manju. The film stars Balaji, Kanika and Nikita Thukral in the leading roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V. Nagendra Prasad</span> Indian lyricist

V. Nagendra Prasad is a lyricist, composer and director who predominantly works for Kannada cinema. He has written more than 3000 songs, largely for Kannada cinema.

<i>Chakravarthy</i> (2017 film) 2017 Indian Kannada action crime film directed by Chintan A V

Chakravarthy (transl. Emperor) is a 2017 Indian Kannada-language action crime film directed by Chintan A V, a former screenwriter, making his debut. The film stars Darshan and Deepa Sannidhi besides Kumar Bangarappa, Aditya and Srujan Lokesh playing key supporting roles. The film's score and soundtrack is composed by Arjun Janya.

<i>Raajakumara</i> 2017 Indian film

Raajakumara is a 2017 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Santhosh Ananddram and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under Hombale Films. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar, alongside Priya Anand. R. Sarathkumar, Ananth Nag, Prakash Raj, Chikkanna, Sadhu Kokila, Achyuth Kumar and Avinash. The music was composed by V. Harikrishna, while cinematography and editing were handled by A. Venkatesh and K. M. Prakash.

<i>Kurukshetra</i> (2019 film) 2019 film directed by Naganna

Kurukshetra is a 2019 Kannada-language mythological war film written by J. K. Bharavi and directed by Naganna. The story is based on the epic poem Gadhayuddha by Ranna, which itself is based on the Indian epic Mahabharata. The story is centred on Duryodhana, the Kaurava king. The film was produced by Munirathna.

<i>Pailwaan</i> 2019 Indian Kannada-language action film

Pailwaan (transl. Wrestler) is a 2019 Indian Kannada-language sports-masala film written and directed by S. Krishna. The film is produced by Swapna Krishna under the banner RRR Motion Pictures and bankrolled by Zee Studios. It stars Sudeepa, Sunil Shetty and Aakanksha Singh in the lead roles, while Kabir Duhan Singh, Sushant Singh, Avinash, and Sharath Lohitashwa play supporting roles. The film marks Sunil Shetty and Aakanksha Singh's Kannada cinema debut. The score and soundtrack of the film was composed by Arjun Janya. The film follows the journey of an orphan who goes on to become a wrestler and a boxer while getting into brawls with those who disrupt his personal life.

Dinakar Thoogudeepa, mononymously known as Dinakar Thoogudeepa, is an Indian film director, actor and producer who works mainly in Kannada films, who started his film career as an actor from the movie Ayyo Pandu in 2004 later he worked as assistant director for few Kannada movies. He become full-fledged director from the Kannada movie Jothe Jotheyali in 2006.

References

  1. DINAKAR INTERVIEW ABOUT STRUGGLING TIME OF DARSHAN AND DINAKAR THOOGUDEEPA. dboss kingdom. 23 November 2020. Event occurs at 27:26.
  2. "Top earning Kannada movies of 2011".
  3. "Friday release". Deccan Herald . 29 September 2011.
  4. "Darshan hits wife, lands in jail". Deccan Herald . 10 September 2011.
  5. Suresh, Sunayana (14 March 2013). "Karnataka State Film Awards 2010-11 winners". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  6. "Bypassing copycats, Sandalwood style".
  7. "Darshan makes a big hit again, this time with his film". Bangalore Mirror . 2 October 2011.
  8. "Darshan's different role in Sarathi". The New Indian Express . 7 December 2009.
  9. "Darshan wants to be famous like Shankar Nag". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  10. "8 films on the floor, Darshan has Rs 70 cr riding on him". The Times of India . 15 September 2011.
  11. "Bul Bul to celebrate 100 days on August 31". The Times of India . 25 August 2013.
  12. "SARATHY MOVIE REVIEW". The Times of India . 14 May 2016.
  13. "Review: Kannada film 'Sarathi' is arguably Darshan's best film". DNA . 1 October 2011.
  14. "Sarathi: Killer punch". Bangalore Mirror . 1 October 2011.
  15. "Saarathi". Deccan Herald . 1 October 2011.
  16. "Kannada Review: 'Sarathi' is a sure shot winner". News18 India . 1 October 2011.