Sankarabharanam (1979)

Original title

శంకరాభరణం

Directed by

Kasinathuni Viswanath

Genre

musical film

Country

India

Runtime

2h 23m

Rated

U

Rating

5.7 of 10 from 18 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A traditional classical musician and a young fan of Western pop clash over their musical tastes. Their relationship bridges generational and cultural divides, leading to mutual respect and understanding.

elegantpoignantthoughtfulculturally resonantemotionally stirringslow-burnmelodicreverent

What happens

Shankarabharanam (transl. The jewel of Shankara) is a 1980 Indian Telugu-language musical drama film co-written and directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by Edida Nageswara Rao under Poornodaya Movie Creations, the film stars J. V. Somayajulu, Manju Bhargavi, Chandra Mohan, and Rajyalakshmi. The soundtrack was composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film explores the cultural divide between Indian classical and Western pop music through the perspectives of characters from different generations. Released on 2 February 1980, Shankarabharanam opened to near-empty halls, but quickly gained widespread popularity, eventually running for over 25 weeks in many centres. In Tamil Nadu, the film was a major sensation, showing in packed houses in its original version. It was later dubbed into Tamil and Malayalam, with the Malayalam version also enjoying a year-long theatrical run. The film received significant acclaim, winning the Prize of the Public at the Besançon Film Festival, France in 1981. It was screened at several international festivals, including the 8th International Film Festival of India, the Tashkent Film Festival, the Asia Pacific Film Festival, and the Moscow International Film Festival in May 1980. Shankarabharanam was also featured in an online poll by CNN-IBN in 2013, where it ranked eleventh for the "greatest Indian film ever" as part of the centenary celebration of Indian cinema. The film was honoured with four National Film Awards, including Best Popular Feature Film, making it the first South Indian film to receive this award. It also received seven state Nandi Awards. Following its success, Viswanath directed a Hindi remake titled Sur Sangam (1985). Forbes India included J. V. Somayajulu's performance in Shankarabharanam in its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema." (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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