Saakshi (1967)

Original title

సాక్షి

Directed by

Bapu

Genre

drama film

Country

India

Runtime

2h 22m

Rating

8.0 of 10 from 2 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A simple boatman in rural India is naive and good-natured but gradually becomes hardened after being repeatedly exploited by those around him. The film follows his transformation from a trusting person to one who is cold and unforgiving.

reflectivemelancholicslow-burnearthymorally complexbleakgroundedrealistic

What happens

Sakshi (transl. Witness) is a 1967 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by Bapu. The film stars Krishna, Vijaya Nirmala and Vijaya Lalitha, with Ramana Panthulu, Raja Babu, Chalapathi Rao, Allu Venkateswarlu, Jagga Rao and R. Ranga Rao in supporting roles. It is based on Mullapudi Venkata Ramana's 1959 story of the same name which itself was inspired by the 1952 American film High Noon. In Sakshi, a naïve and bucolic boatman is exploited by society and turns into a hard-hearted person. Sakshi, the directorial debut of Bapu (who also worked as art director), was the first Telugu film to be shot completely in outdoor locations, with filming taking place in Pulidindi, a village located on the banks of the Godavari River. It was the acting debut of Ranga Rao, who later prefixed the film's title to his name. The entire film was completed in less than 20 days. Sakshi was released on 1 July 1967. Although many people in the Telugu film industry believed the film would not run for even 20 days in theatres, it ran for almost a month and became a profitable venture, besides receiving critical acclaim. It was later screened at the Tashkent film festival in 1968, where it was also well received. The film received critical acclaim during its screening at the Tashkent film festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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