Nagamandala
Encyclopedia
Nagamandala is a Kannada language
film directed by T.S. Nagabharana
released in the year 1997 named after a ritual called Nagamandala.It stars Prakash Rai, Vijayalakshmi(kannada)
.
. The movie was directed by award winning director T.S. Nagabharana, who is deemed to be one of the ace directors in Kannada film industry. Music was scored by C. Aswath
and Srihari L. Khoday produced the movie.
The film touches one of the most sensitive issues of marital life. In folk style and form, the film throws open a question as to who is the husband - the person who marries an innocent girl and indulges in self pleasures or the person who gives the real and complete experience of life.
The film stars Prakash Rai, Vijayalakshmi, Mandya Ramesh, and B. Jayashri in prominent roles. The film is centered on three people, Appanna (Prakash Rai), his wife Rani (Vijayalakshmi) and Naga, a King Cobra, who can assume the form of a human being (Prakash Rai).
The strong points of the movie remain the amazing acting by the leading cast and an authentic portrayal and command on story by the director. The director has made some change to the original play in the climax.
Naga, who can take the form of a human being, is enchanted with her and begins to visit her every night in the form of her husband. This changes Rani’s life completely as she starts to experience the good things in life though she never knows that the person with her is not her husband but the Naga.
One of these days, she gets pregnant and breaks the news to Appanna. He immediately accuses her for adultery and says that he has not fathered the child. The issue is referred to the village Panchayat. She is then asked to prove her fidelity by putting her hand in the snake burrow and taking a vow that she has not committed adultery. It is a popular belief that if any person lies holding the snake in their hand, they will be instantly killed by the snake God.
She does place her hand in the snake burrow and vows that she has never touched any male other than her husband and the Naga in the burrow. She is declared chaste by the village Panchayat. However, her husband is not ready to accept that she is pregnant with his child and decides to find out the truth by spying on the house at night. Appanna is shocked to see the Naga visiting Rani in his form, spending time with her and then leaving the house.
Appanna gets furious with the Naga and indulges in a fight with him. Both of them fight vigorously. Eventually, the Naga dies in the fight. After this incident, Appanna realizes his mistake and he accepts Rani along with the child she is carrying.
Second Best Film State Award
Best Supporting Actor and Actress Awards
Best Art Direction Award
Best Photography Award
Udaya Cine Awards
Best Film Award
Best Direction Award (T.S. Nagabharana)
Best Supporting Actor and Actress Awards (Mandya Ramesh and B. Jayashri)
Best Female Singer Awards (Sangeetha Katti)
Other Awards & Recognitions
Selected for Indian Panorama in the International Film Festival 1997
Film Fare Best Direction Award
Cine Express Best Director Award
Film Fans Association award
Exhibited in nineteen important centers in USA
, India
. The movie portrays lifestyle, food habits, and routine habits of medieval period in Karnataka. Snakes are considered sacred and are feared and worshipped. North Karnataka dialect is used for conversation. Supernatural elements play a central part in the film.
The intimate relationships between a man and a woman, an Indian woman's desperation to win the affections of her husband in spite of the husband’s open infidelity, the need to prove fidelity being imposed on married women while their husbands are not even questioned about the extramarital affairs, and the village judicial system.
has striking resemblances to the screenplay of Nagamandala. Paheli’s director Amol Palekar
was accused of plagiarizing the screenplay and storyline from Nagamandala. However, Amol Palekar dismissed the accusation saying that Paheli was adapted from a short story written by Vijayadan Detha.
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
film directed by T.S. Nagabharana
released in the year 1997 named after a ritual called Nagamandala.It stars Prakash Rai, Vijayalakshmi(kannada)
Vijayalakshmi(kannada)
-Career:Vijayalakshmi was born into a Tamil Saiva Vellala Pillai family in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and did her studies in Karnataka. Vijayalakshmi acted in nearly 40 films in her career. She has acted in nearly 25 Kannada films. During her stint as an actress she was recognized for her beauty and...
.
Introduction
Nagamandala is a critically acclaimed Kannada movie released in 1997. The story of the film was adapted from a play of the same name written by well-known writer Girish KarnadGirish Karnad
Girish Raghunath Karnad is a contemporary writer, playwright, screenwriter, actor and movie director in Kannada language...
. The movie was directed by award winning director T.S. Nagabharana, who is deemed to be one of the ace directors in Kannada film industry. Music was scored by C. Aswath
C. Aswath
C. Aswath was an Indian music composer and exponent of Bhavageete in the Kannada language. He was also a singer, and had sung many of his own compositions. He was credited with singing Bhavageete songs and making sure that they reached the common man. He died on 29 December 2009 on his 70th...
and Srihari L. Khoday produced the movie.
The film touches one of the most sensitive issues of marital life. In folk style and form, the film throws open a question as to who is the husband - the person who marries an innocent girl and indulges in self pleasures or the person who gives the real and complete experience of life.
The film stars Prakash Rai, Vijayalakshmi, Mandya Ramesh, and B. Jayashri in prominent roles. The film is centered on three people, Appanna (Prakash Rai), his wife Rani (Vijayalakshmi) and Naga, a King Cobra, who can assume the form of a human being (Prakash Rai).
The strong points of the movie remain the amazing acting by the leading cast and an authentic portrayal and command on story by the director. The director has made some change to the original play in the climax.
Plot Summary
Rani is a young bride who is neglected by her indifferent and unfaithful husband, Appanna. Appanna spends most of his time with his concubine and comes home only for lunch. Rani is one of those typical wives who want to win her husband’s affection at any cost. In an attempt to do so, she decides to drug her husband with a love root, which she mixes in the milk. That milk is spilled on the nearby anthill and Naga, the King Cobra drinks it.Naga, who can take the form of a human being, is enchanted with her and begins to visit her every night in the form of her husband. This changes Rani’s life completely as she starts to experience the good things in life though she never knows that the person with her is not her husband but the Naga.
One of these days, she gets pregnant and breaks the news to Appanna. He immediately accuses her for adultery and says that he has not fathered the child. The issue is referred to the village Panchayat. She is then asked to prove her fidelity by putting her hand in the snake burrow and taking a vow that she has not committed adultery. It is a popular belief that if any person lies holding the snake in their hand, they will be instantly killed by the snake God.
She does place her hand in the snake burrow and vows that she has never touched any male other than her husband and the Naga in the burrow. She is declared chaste by the village Panchayat. However, her husband is not ready to accept that she is pregnant with his child and decides to find out the truth by spying on the house at night. Appanna is shocked to see the Naga visiting Rani in his form, spending time with her and then leaving the house.
Appanna gets furious with the Naga and indulges in a fight with him. Both of them fight vigorously. Eventually, the Naga dies in the fight. After this incident, Appanna realizes his mistake and he accepts Rani along with the child she is carrying.
Awards
Karnataka State AwardsSecond Best Film State Award
Best Supporting Actor and Actress Awards
Best Art Direction Award
Best Photography Award
Udaya Cine Awards
Best Film Award
Best Direction Award (T.S. Nagabharana)
Best Supporting Actor and Actress Awards (Mandya Ramesh and B. Jayashri)
Best Female Singer Awards (Sangeetha Katti)
Other Awards & Recognitions
Selected for Indian Panorama in the International Film Festival 1997
Film Fare Best Direction Award
Cine Express Best Director Award
Film Fans Association award
Exhibited in nineteen important centers in USA
Cultural Influence
Nagamandala is a movie based on folk tales spread in North KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The movie portrays lifestyle, food habits, and routine habits of medieval period in Karnataka. Snakes are considered sacred and are feared and worshipped. North Karnataka dialect is used for conversation. Supernatural elements play a central part in the film.
Human Complexities / Social Issues
The film uses a magical folktale to reveal the complexity of human life. In particular, the film focuses on the folktale in the Indian context to reveal the social and individual relations. Some of the most complex issues dealt in the movie reflect the social stigmas prevailing in the society of those times.The intimate relationships between a man and a woman, an Indian woman's desperation to win the affections of her husband in spite of the husband’s open infidelity, the need to prove fidelity being imposed on married women while their husbands are not even questioned about the extramarital affairs, and the village judicial system.
Trivia
The Shah Rukh Khan-Rani Mukherjee starrer PaheliPaheli
Paheli is a Bollywood ghost movie, released in India on 24 June 2005, directed by Amol Palekar and produced by Gauri Khan, Sanjiv Chawla and Shahrukh Khan, who also plays the male lead...
has striking resemblances to the screenplay of Nagamandala. Paheli’s director Amol Palekar
Amol Palekar
Amol Palekar is an Indian actor of the 1970s and a director of Hindi and Marathi cinema.-Theater career:Palekar began in Marathi experimental theatre with Satyadev Dubey, and later started his own group, Aniket, in 1972 [citation needed]...
was accused of plagiarizing the screenplay and storyline from Nagamandala. However, Amol Palekar dismissed the accusation saying that Paheli was adapted from a short story written by Vijayadan Detha.