Nagarahole (film)
| Nagarahole | |
|---|---|
.jpg) VCD cover | |
| Directed by | Rajendra Singh Babu |
| Written by | H. V. Subba Rao (dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Rajendra Singh Babu |
| Produced by | S. N. Parthanath R. F. Manik Chand C. H. Balaji Singh |
| Starring | Vishnuvardhan Bharathi Master Prasad Tagat Baby Indira Ambareesh |
| Cinematography | P. S. Prakash |
| Edited by | Bal G. Yadav |
| Music by | Satyam |
Production company | Varuna Pictures |
| Distributed by | Mahathma Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 139 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Nagarahole (ⓘ) is a 1977 Indian Kannada-language children's adventure film written by H. V. Subba Rao, with screenplay and direction by Rajendra Singh Babu.[1] Produced under Varuna Pictures, the film starred Bharathi, Master Prasad Tagat, Master Bhanuprakash, Master Sathisha and Baby Indira in the lead roles along with Vishnuvardhan, Ambareesh and Shivaram in key supporting roles. The music for the film was composed by Satyam and cinematography was by P. S. Prakash. Inspired by Enid Blyton’s childhood adventure tales, Babu conceived the story as a forest-set children's film.[2] Upon release, the film met with positive response from critics and audience. It went on to win the Karnataka State Award for Best Child Actor to all the children who played the lead characters.
The film was dubbed in 11 languages[3] including in Malayalam as Kaadu Njangalude Veedu,[4] in Tamil as Yaanai Engal Thozhan[5] and in Hindi as Bahadur Bachhe. Director Babu revealed that the base plotline was inspired by the books of Enid Blyton.[6]
Plot
During a school trip to Nagarhole National Park, teacher Madhu (Bharathi) and her students embark on an exploratory bus journey. When a few adventurous children wander off into the forest, they encounter unexpected danger. Captain Kumar (Vishnuvardhan) and the innocent bus driver Antony (Ambareesh) spring into action to locate and rescue the missing children. Their search leads to tension-filled encounters with wildlife and hidden threats in the dense forest. In an emotional turn, Madhu reunites with her estranged husband—revealed to be the missing guide—bringing a heartfelt resolution as the group safely returns from the perilous trip.
Cast
- Bharathi Vishnuvardhan as Madhu
- Baby Indira as Puppy
- Master Prasad Tagat
- Master Bhanuprakash
- Master Sathish
- Vishnuvardhan as Captain Kumar (Extended cameo)
- Ambareesh as Antony, bus driver
- B. V. Radha
- Shivaram as Gundu Rao
- Uma Shivakumar as a teacher
- M. N. Lakshmi Devi as a teacher
- Sundar Krishna Urs as Mahim
- M. S. Umesh
- Shakti Prasad as forest range officer
- Dinesh as Bhoopayya, forest guard
- Chethan Ramarao as police inspector
- Satish Shankar as Ramu
- Kanchana as a tribeswoman
Production
Rajendra Singh Babu wanted to make a children's adventure film completely set in a forest being inspired by the books written by Enid Blyton. He approached celebrated Kannada writer H. V. Subba Rao who went for a recce to Nagarahole for 15 days. H. V. Subba Rao wrote the film's story and added a sub plot of Naxalites lurking around the forest. He also wrote the dialogues.[7]
The character of Ambareesh was based on a real life driver whom Babu met there. Babu revealed that the team struggled to shoot action and bravery scenes like a tiger carrying a little boy.[7] The film was set in Nagarahole and Muthodi forests. The climax was shot on the Sakleshpura Bridge with 13 tunnels (at 165 ft in height it was Asia's highest bridge) through which Sakleshpura and Subramanya railway line passes.[7][8] The film production started in 1974 and it was released in 1977 after finally finding takers.[7]
Soundtrack
Soundtrack was composed by Satyam.[9] The song "Ille Swarga Ille Naraka" sung by Ravi and filmed on Ambareesh became hugely popular. It was remixed in the 2011 film Paagal.[10]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey Hey Piltu" | R. N. Jayagopal | P. B. Srinivas, S. Janaki | |
| 2. | "Ee Notake Mai Matake" | Chi. Udayashankar | Bharathi, Vishnuvardhan | |
| 3. | "Ille Swarga Ille Naraka" | Chi. Udayashankar | Ravi | |
| 4. | "Nagaraholeyo Ammale" | Vijaya Narasimha | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki |
Release
The film was dubbed in Hindi and released in Mumbai and all over India and became popular among kids of that generation.[7]
Accolades
It won Karnataka State Film Awards for 'best child actor' 1976-1977 for Prasad Tagat, Bhanuprakash, Sathish and Baby Indira.
References
- ^ "Nagarahole Kannada Movie: Release Date, Cast, Story, Ott". Filmibeat.
- ^ "Innovative and bold explorations". The Hindu. 7 August 2017.
- ^ https://m.youtube.com/shorts/2zJi7gKONNA
- ^ "കാട് ഞങ്ങളുടെ വീട് (1978)". ml.msidb.org (in Malayalam). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "யானை எங்கள் தோழன்". Anna (in Tamil). 7 August 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 3 February 2025 – via Endangered Archives Programme.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ ಅಣ್ಣಾವ್ರಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದೆ ಇದು ಮಾಸ್ ಸಿನಿಮಾ ಈ ತರ ಕ್ಯಾರೆಕ್ಟರ್ ನಿಮಗೆ ವರ್ಕೌಟ್ ಆಗಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ! | Rajendra Singh Babu (in Kannada). Kannada Maanikya. 18 March 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e "Innovative and bold explorations". The Hindu. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Filmi Escapes in Karnataka" (PDF). Lonely Planet. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ "Nagara Hole". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
- ^ Rajapur, Vijaysarathy (4 December 2011). "Paagal Kannada Movie". Nowrunning. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
External links
- Nagarahole at IMDb
