Saarathi
Saarathi (English: Charioteer) is a 2011 Indian Kannada-language romantic action 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, lyrics for which was penned by V. Nagendra Prasad.
| Saarathi | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dinakar Thoogudeepa |
| Screenplay by | Dinakar Thoogudeepa |
| Story by | Dinakar Thoogudeepa Chinthan A. V. |
| Produced by | K. V. Satya Prakash |
| Starring | Darshan Deepa Sannidhi R. Sarathkumar |
| Cinematography | K. Krishna Kumar |
| Edited by | K. M. Prakash |
| Music by | V. Harikrishna |
Production company | Sri Araseshwari Cine Productions |
| Distributed by | Reliance Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 166 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
| Budget | ₹7.5 crore[1] |
| Box office | ₹20.5 crores[2] |
The film released theatrically on 30 September 2011 [3] when the 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]
Synopsis
Raja, an auto-rickshaw driver, who falls in love with Rukmini. But she has an enemy in Pratap, a relative who wants to marry her, and takes her to his hometown - Durgakote. Raja follows her to the place and finds that she hails from the family of palegars who rule the place. The story takes a turn when Raja finds that Rukmini is the daughter of his father's sister.
Cast
- Darshan as Raja / Krishna
- Deepa Sannidhi as Rukmini
- R. Sarathkumar as Suryanarayana
- Seetha as Raja's mother
- Rangayana Raghu as Raja's adoptive father
- Sharath Lohitashwa as Nagappa, Suryanarayana's brother
- Ajay as Pratap, Nagappa's son
- Bullet Prakash as Raja's friend
- Viswa
- Dileep
- Kote Prabhakar as Pratap's henchman
- Muni as Pratap's henchman
- Lokesh Kademani
Production
Saarathi was initially under the production of Kannada cinema veteran KCN Chandrashekhar,[7] but was later taken up by K. V. Satya Prakash as his first film venture. As a result of which, the film has been in the making for over 2 years [8] 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.[9] 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.[10]
Music
The music and Background score was composed by V. Harikrishna and lyrics for songs were penned by Nagendra Prasad
| Saarathi | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 19 June 2011 |
| Recorded | 2011 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 23:01 |
| Label | Anand Audio |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(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.[11]
Reception
Critical response
A critic from 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] A critic from 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] A critic from News18 India 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
- Best Entertaining Movie
- Best Art Director — Eshwari Kumar
- Special Jury Award (Special effects) — Rajan
- Best Film
References
- ^ DINAKAR INTERVIEW ABOUT STRUGGLING TIME OF DARSHAN AND DINAKAR THOOGUDEEPA. dboss kingdom. 23 November 2020. Event occurs at 27:26.
- ^ "Top earning Kannada movies of 2011".
- ^ "Friday release". Deccan Herald. 29 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Darshan hits wife, lands in jail". Deccan Herald. 10 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Suresh, Sunayana (14 March 2013). "Karnataka State Film Awards 2010-11 winners". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ "Bypassing copycats, Sandalwood style".
- ^ "Darshan's different role in Sarathi". The New Indian Express. 7 December 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ . The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ^ "8 films on the floor, Darshan has Rs 70 cr riding on him". The Times of India. 15 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Bul Bul to celebrate 100 days on August 31". The Times of India. 25 August 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Darshan makes a big hit again, this time with his film". Bangalore Mirror. 2 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SARATHY MOVIE REVIEW". The Times of India. 14 May 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Review: Kannada film 'Sarathi' is arguably Darshan's best film". DNA. 1 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Sarathi: Killer punch". Bangalore Mirror. 1 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Saarathi". Deccan Herald. 1 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Kannada Review: 'Sarathi' is a sure shot winner". News18 India. 1 October 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
- Saarathi at IMDb