Kalpana (2012 film)

Kalpana
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rama Narayanan
Written by	Raghava Lawrence
Produced by	Sri Thenaandaal Films
Starring	Upendra Lakshmi Rai Saikumar Babu Antony
Cinematography	K. S. Selvaraj
Music by	V. Harikrishna
Release date	28 September 2012 (2012-09-28)
Country	India
Language	Kannada
Budget	₹4 Crore
Box office	₹9 Crore (Nett : ₹6 Crore Satellite Rights : ₹1.75 Crore)

Kalpana is a 2012 Kannada Comedy horror film that stars Upendra, Saikumar and Lakshmi Rai in the lead roles. Veteran Film maker Rama Narayanan has directed and produced this movie under his banner Sri Thenaandal Films. The film is a remake of the 2011 Tamil-Telugu blockbuster Kanchana. Veteran Actor Saikumar reprises the role of a transgender Kalpana, originally played by Sarath Kumar in the Tamil and Telugu versions. Shruti and Umashri play supporting roles (Originally played by Devadarshini and Kovai Sarala respectively) in this thriller film.

The film was released across Karnataka on 28th September 2012 and opened to positive response from the critics and audience. The performances of Sai Kumar and Upendra have been critically acclaimed. The film did well at the box office and was a 'Super Hit' in Mysore, Northern Karnataka, Chitradurga, Bellary districts, while a 'Hit' in other parts of Karnataka.

Plot

Raghava (Upendra) is a fun-loving youngster who enjoys playing cricket with his friends. But at night he is afraid of ghosts and is always confined to his home under the care of his mother (Umashri). His brother (Achyuth Rao), sister-in-law (Shruti) and their children live together in the same house. When Raghava and his friends go in search of another ground to play cricket, they find an abandoned field, which, it turns out, is haunted. At home, his mother and sister-in-law witness some strange happenings. With the help of a temple priest, they confirm the presence of a ghostly spirit haunting their home. Raghava begins to act funny and shows effeminate behaviour which is when the presence of the ghost is identified. The film goes on to unravel the mystery of the ghostly Kalpana (Sai Kumar) and her relationship with Raghava.

Cast

• Upendra
• Saikumar
• Lakshmi Rai
• Shruti
• Umashri
• Babu Antony
• Achyut Kumar
• Om Prakash Rao in a Special Appearance

Production

The film was officially launch on December 14'th at the Kanteerava Studios in Bangalore. Upendra had come to the launch along with his family as December 14'th was his marriage anniversary. Upendra and his wife actress Priyanka Upendra exchanged garlands in front of hundreds of fans of the actor and film industry dignitaries. Lakshmi Rai who was the heroine in the original was chosen in the same role opposite Upendra in this film. Dialogue King Sai Kumar was cast to play a special role in the film which was played by actor Sarath Kumar in the original. Umashri, Shruti and Achyut Kumar were also cast to play supporting roles in the movie.

Songs

The Music for the film was composed by V. Harikrishna

• Nillu Maga Nillu Maga
• Bayanno Bambada
• Hei Madana Kamaraya
• Bandhelu Bandhelu

Reception

Critical Reception

Kalpana opened to generally favorable reviews from the critics. The performances of Sai Kumar and Upendra were critically acclaimed. The Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and sated, "Full marks to Sai Kumar for his excellent portrayal of a Mangalamukhi. Upendra shines as a man possessed. The film is brilliantly done with fast-moving sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat." S Shyam Prasad of Bangalore Mirror gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and stated, "Kalpana is entertainment from the word go. The story is a mix of comedy and horror and the blend is perfect. Sai Kumar, as a transgender, plays the role superbly." DNA rated the film 3.5/5 and stated, "Kalpana is a crazy mix of humor and horror. Simply put, this is an interesting movie — go watch it for some fun!" IBN Live gave the film a positive review by stating, "Kalpana is a good option for horror film lovers. Upendra is fabulous in his performance." Deccan Herald also gave the film a positive review and stated, "The Dialogue King Sai Kumar mesmerises as transgender Kalpana, who is wronged by one and all. Upendra's abundant energy gets another outlet in Kalpana and his transformation is beautiful. Kalpana is for Uppi’s fans and for those who keep hiding their fears under jokes."

Rediff gave 3 out of 5 stars for Kalpana and stated, "Sai Kumar, who enacts the part of a transgender, surprises with his superb body language and dialogue delivery. Kalpana is an enjoyable horror film. If you like horror films you may like this." Oneindia gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and stated, "Kalpana is engaging and entertaining. The flow of the story keeps the audience to watch the movie on the edge of their seats. It is Sai Kumar, who steals the show in the movie. His dialogue delivery and body language of a transgender are treat to watch." Supergood Movies termed Kalpana as a terrific film giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars and praised Upendra's performance stating, "Upendra from the days of A has liking to this kind of variety in the role. He is a fantastic performer. He has given his best." Indiaglitz also gave the film a positive review and stated, "Kalpana is a stunner. Upendra is fabulous in his performance." Newstrack India wrote positive words on the movie and gave a final verdict, "If you look in totality, Kalpana is one thoroughly enjoyable film, particularly for children and family audience, despite it getting an 'A' certificate."

Box Office

Kalpana had a good opening at the box office across Karnataka. The film opened to strong box office collections on its release day with 90% occupancy at single screens and around 70% occupancy at multiplexes. On the release day, Kalpana was overwhelmingly welcomed by single screen audience and it received decent response from multiplex viewers. In the next two days, it got wonderful response from both mass and class audience. The film grossed ₹4 crore during its opening weekend and collected a nett share of ₹2.5 crore, thus surpassing the openings of Upendra's previous film Godfather which had grossed ₹3 crore during its opening weekend. The collections were in the range of 80 to 100 % in most of the major cities, while in the B and C centres the collections had been improving show by show to reach nearly 80 % on average. The film continued to do good business all over the state in its second week and the collections in B and C centres were impressive. The film grossed more than ₹9 Crore (Nett collections : ₹6 Crore & Satellite rights : ₹1.75 Crore) during its theatrical run and completed 50 days of run in 25 centres across Karnataka. The film did well at the box office and was a 'Super Hit' in Mysore, Northern Karnataka, Chitradurga, Bellary districts, while a 'Hit' in other parts of Karnataka.

External links

• Real star Upendra different getup in Kalpana, an article in Kannada
• http://www.supergoodmovies.com/34774/sandalwood/kanchana-is-kalpana-in-kannada-news-details
• http://www.chitraloka.com/2011/12/14/kalpana-launched-with-upendra-priyanka-anniversary/
• http://www.youtube.com/thenandalfilms/
• http://www.raaga.com/channels/kannada/moviedetail.asp?mid=K0001872