Pushpaka Vimana (1987)

Original title

ಪುಷ್ಪಕ ವಿಮಾನ

Directed by

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao

Genre

silent film

Country

India

Runtime

2h 11m

Rated

PG-13

Rating

7.2 of 10 from 34 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An unemployed graduate finds a rich man passed out drunk. He takes the man's place in his luxurious life. But a hired killer mistakes him for his intended victim, putting him in danger.

wryplayfulsuspensefulslow-burnsatiricaltongue-in-cheekquietcerebral

What happens

Pushpaka Vimana (transl. The Flower Chariot) is a 1987 Indian black comedy film written and directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who co-produced it with Shringar Nagaraj. The film, which has no dialogue, stars Kamal Haasan leading an ensemble cast that includes Samir Khakhar, Tinu Anand, K. S. Ramesh, Amala, Farida Jalal, Pratap Potan, Lokanath, P. L. Narayana and Ramya. It revolves around an unemployed graduate who encounters a drunk rich man unconscious and takes over his lifestyle after keeping him prisoner. However, he does not realise the dangers he has brought upon himself because a hired killer believes him to be his target. Srinivasa Rao's desire to make a dialogue-less film came when he was working as an assistant director in a film where a character had to emote fear without dialogue in a scene. Once the idea for Pushpaka Vimana materialised, Srinivasa Rao wrote the screenplay within two weeks. The film was the only one produced by Nagaraj. Due to the lack of dialogue, Srinivasa Rao was able to cast actors from different parts of India. The cinematography was handled by B. C. Gowrishankar, editing by D. Vasu, art direction by Thota Tharani, and the background score was composed by L. Vaidyanathan. The film was shot in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The film was released on 27 November 1987 with different titles for different linguistic regions: its original title Pushpaka Vimana in Karnataka (Kannada), Pushpaka Vimanam in Andhra Pradesh (Telugu), Pushpak (transl. Flower) in Hindi-speaking regions, Pesum Padam (transl. Talking Picture) in Tamil Nadu (Tamil), and Pushpakvimanam in Kerala (Malayalam). It received critical acclaim and became a commercial success, with a 35-week theatrical run in Bengaluru. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment as a Kannada entry and in three categories at the 35th Filmfare Awards South in the Kannada branch: Best Film, Best Director (Srinivasa Rao) and Best Actor (Haasan). (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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