Ghatashraddha
| Ghatashraddha | |
|---|---|
| File:Ghatashraddha DVD COVER.jpg DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Girish Kasaravalli |
| Written by | U. R. Ananthamurthy |
| Screenplay by | Girish Kasaravalli |
| Produced by | Sadananda Suvarna |
| Starring | Meena Kuttappa Ajith Kumar Narayana Bhat |
| Cinematography | S. Ramachandra |
| Edited by | Umesh Kulkarni |
| Music by | B. V. Karanth |
| Distributed by | Suvarnagiri Films |
Release date | 1977 |
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Ghatashraddha (The Ritual) is a 1977 Indian Kannada language film directed by Girish Kasaravalli starring Meena Kuttappa, Naraya Bhat and Ajith Kumar in lead roles. It is based on a novella by eminent Kannada writer U. R. Ananthamurthy. The film was Girish Kasaravalli's first feature film as a director, and marked not only the arrival of a promising new filmmaker but also that of Kannada cinema in the India's 'New Cinema' horizon.[1]
The film won three awards at the 25th National Film Awards, awarded for films of 1977. It won the award for Best Feature Film, Best Music Direction (B. V. Karanth) and Best Child Artist (Ajith Kumar).
In 2002, Ghatashraddha became the only Indian film to be chosen by the National Archive of Paris among 100 others, during the centenary celebrations of cinema.[2][3] At the 2009 International Film Festival of India, it was announced one of the 20 best films in Indian cinema, having received 1.6 million votes.[4]
Plot
A young Brahmin Vedic school student, who is from an aristocratic family, befriends his school master's daughter who is a pregnant widow. The boy tries but fails in concealing his friend's pregnancy. The widow has an abortion forced on her, has the eponymous ritual performed on her and is excommunicated. The student returns home as his school shuts down.[5]
Cast
- Meena Kuttappa as Yamuna
- Narayana Bhat as Shastri
- Ajith Kumar as Naani
- Ramakrishna
- Shantha
- Ramaswamy Iyengar
- Jagannath
- Suresh
- H. S. Parvathi
Production
Girish Kasaravalli approached U. R. Ananthamurthy for the rights of Ghatashraddha through dramatist K. V. Subbanna. Ananthamurthy, who was in the US at the time, gave his go-ahead on hearing the screenplay from Kasaravalli, on his return to India. It was on the former's suggestion that Meena Kuttappa, his former student, was signed to play the female lead in the film.[6]
Awards
- Best Feature Film
- Best Music Direction — B. V. Karanth
- Best Child Artist — Ajith Kumar
- 1977–78 Karnataka State Film Awards
- First Best Film
- Best Story — U. R. Ananthamurthy
- Best Screenplay — Girish Kasaravalli
- Best Child Actor — Ajith Kumar
References
- ^ southasiancinema
- ^ "Asiatic Film Mediale". asiaticafilmmediale.it. Archived from the original on 16 November 2008.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Girish Kasaravalli to be felicitated". The Hindu. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ghatashraddha, one of the 20 best movies". The Times of India. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Maslin, Janet (24 April 1979). "Ghatashraddha (1977) The Screen: A Vignette From India". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Ghatashraddha was ideal for a movie: Girish Kasaravalli". The Times of India. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
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