Ondu Muttina Kathe
| Ondu Muttina Kathe | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Shankar Nag |
| Screenplay by | Shankar Nag |
| Produced by | A. Dwarakanath A. Ramadas A. S. Murthy D. K. K. Prasad |
| Starring | Rajkumar Archana |
| Cinematography | B. C. Gowrishankar |
| Edited by | P. Bhaktavatsalam |
| Music by | L. Vaidyanathan |
Production company | Padmashree Enterprises |
| Distributed by | Vajreshwari Combines |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Ondu Muttina Kathe (transl. Story of a Pearl) is a 1987 Indian Kannada language film directed by Shankar Nag, starring Rajkumar and Archana.[1] It is based on John Steinbeck's 1947 novella The Pearl.[2][3] This was the last directorial of Shankar Nag. It is also the only movie in which he directed Rajkumar, making him the youngest person to direct him.[4]
The movie was not very successful but is still remembered for its screenplay and technical superiority.[5] It is considered one of the cult classic movies in the history of Kannada cinema.[6]
The film is notable for the underwater fighting sequence by Rajkumar at the age of 58[7] with a London-made artificial octopus shot in the Maldives ocean with a Canadian camera by a German cameraman.[8] It was the first Indian film to have an underwater action sequence shot in an ocean[9] outside India[10] without the help of oxygen mask.[8]
Premise[edit]
The movie narrates the tale of Aithu, a pearl diver, who has to face many problems when he decides to sell a precious pearl which he finds in the ocean.[11]
Cast[edit]
- Rajkumar as Aithu
- Archana as Kaaki
- Shivaram as Abutajja
- Mukhyamantri Chandru as Mahabala
- Doddanna as Doctor
- T. N. Balakrishna as Narasimha Swami
- Ramesh Bhat as Kutta
- L. S. Sudhindra
- Ashok Badaradinni as Doctor's Assistant
- Thoogudeepa Srinivas as Bollanna
- Sundar Raj as Dhooma
- Kaminidharan
Reception[edit]
Shankar had confessed in an interview that he had failed to break Rajkumar's image but was satisfied that an effort was made to tamper with the star system and appreciated Rajkumar for being co-operative in this cause by appearing in a role which was not typical.[12][13] Riding on high expectations, Ondu Muttina Kathe received mixed response upon release. However, it ended up doubling its investment.[4] It had the lowest share for a Dr Raj movie in the 1980s. The movie just ran for 7 weeks (less than 50 days) in the main theatre which again was the lowest for a Dr Rajkumar movie in the 1980s putting the then lowest Nee Nanna Gellalare (63 day) to the second position. Ondu Muttina Kathe has achieved cult status which in turn is evident from it being frequently shown on Udaya TV. It is considered one of the most technically advanced films of the 1980s era of Indian cinema.
Soundtrack[edit]
| Ondu Muttina Kathe | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 1987 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Label | Sangeetha |
L. Vaidyanathan composed the background score for the film and the soundtracks. Lyrics for the soundtracks were penned by Chi. Udaya Shankar. The album consists of five soundtracks.[14]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mutthonda Thande" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar, Rathnamala Prakash | 05:57 |
| 2. | "Mallige Hoovinanthe" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar, Rathnamala Prakash | 04:47 |
| 3. | "Mutthondu Bandaithu" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | C. Ashwath | 03:57 |
| 4. | "Ondu Eradu" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar, Sunil Raoh, Sowmya Raoh | 04:03 |
| 5. | "Melinda Hunnime Chandra" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar, Shankar Nag | 04:30 |
References[edit]
- ^ Ondu Muthina Kathe (1987) Movie info
- ^ "Happy birthday Rajkumar: The ultimate star of the Sandalwood industry". Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Shrinag (20 June 2018). "16 Terribly Underrated Kannada Movies which are so Good that they Deserved a Blockbuster". Metrosaga.
- ^ a b "ಸಿನಿ ಸಿಪ್ 36 | ಶಂಕರ್ ಸಂಕಲ್ಪ". YouTube.
- ^ "Kannada Movie News, Reviews | Image". chitraloka.com. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "16 Terribly Underrated Kannada Movies which are so Good that they Deserved a Blockbuster". 20 June 2018.
- ^ Ondu Muthina Kathe Movie. YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021.
- ^ a b Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Shankar Nag's Last Interview FULL. YouTube.
- ^ DID YOU KNOW ?
- ^ "Ondu Muttina Kathe is the first Indian movie to be shot under water - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "#Happy Birthday Dr Rajkumar: Best movies of the veteran that are a must-watch". The Times of India. 24 April 2020.
- ^ Kumar, S. Shiva (10 March 2016). "Remembering Shankar - The Hindu". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023.
- ^ https://twitter.com/sshivu/status/1708053242155065497?t=zjSc8HmHDhdzw_a8CbTTdA&s=19
- ^ Ondu Mutthina Kathe (1987) songs
