Shanti (film)
Encyclopedia
Shanti is a film in the Kannada language
directed by renowned Kannada writer and director Baraguru Ramachandrappa. Shanti means peace in Kannada. Released in the year 2004
, this film features only a single actor
and hence has found an entry in the Guinness World Records
in the category Fewest actors in a narrative film. Bhavana is the only actress in this film and there are no other actors.
. The UN was used as a vital aspect in the film since Baragur feels that it is a world body that has created two contradicting influences of war and peace. Baragur indicates that though this was sort of an experiment, experimentation was not the main motivation for producing this film. Rather than the concept, more focus has been given on the creative aspects of the theme. A female character was chosen as the sole actress in the film since peace is generally considered feminine whereas war is more masculine. The film does not end with a moral, something uncommon among Indian movies. This is because Baraguru wanted the audience to start off a discussion to weigh the pros and cons of war against peace.
and the Buddha
, the ambassadors of peace. The other crew members include Ramesh Yadav - the producer, Hamsalekha - the music director, Suresh Urs - the editor and Nagaraja Adavani - the cameraman. Apart from direction, Baraguru has also written the screenplay for the film which he indicates was a tough task as he could not compromise on logic and reasoning while accommodating ideological issues. Baraguru who was a professor of Kannada in the Bangalore University
is a well known personality in the Kannada literary field since he has held high positions like the chairman of Kannada Development Authority. The film was entirely shot in the vicinity of the Nalknad Palace
in the Kodagu
district of Karnataka.
From the storyline, it seems that more than one actor is required on the screen. However, Baraguru has handled this uniquely by showing only the character of Shanti on the screen while the remaining characters only contribute in terms of their voices.
and Belgaum
and show this film in places that fall along the way. This unique method was termed as Shanti Chitra Yaatre (travel of the Shanti film). The film saw a fabulous response and in some towns like Davangere and Chitradurga
people had to turn back since the film ran house-full. Despite being an art film
, around 50000 people are supposed to have seen this film.
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...
directed by renowned Kannada writer and director Baraguru Ramachandrappa. Shanti means peace in Kannada. Released in the year 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
, this film features only a single actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and hence has found an entry in the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
in the category Fewest actors in a narrative film. Bhavana is the only actress in this film and there are no other actors.
Theme
Baragur Ramachandrappa decided to direct this film to portray different faces of peace by juxtaposing symbolism and monologues. The main theme of the film is to explore the various ways to fight terrorism without any compromise with the human values promoted by the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. The UN was used as a vital aspect in the film since Baragur feels that it is a world body that has created two contradicting influences of war and peace. Baragur indicates that though this was sort of an experiment, experimentation was not the main motivation for producing this film. Rather than the concept, more focus has been given on the creative aspects of the theme. A female character was chosen as the sole actress in the film since peace is generally considered feminine whereas war is more masculine. The film does not end with a moral, something uncommon among Indian movies. This is because Baraguru wanted the audience to start off a discussion to weigh the pros and cons of war against peace.
Cast and crew
Bhavana is the sole actor. The other characters in the film were only represented by symbols and voices. A dove in the film is used as a symbol for peace and guns are used to portray war and terror. A voice over the telephone represents a character called as Samara (a term that means war in Kannada). In the film, Bhavana had to wear dresses to portray Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, the ambassadors of peace. The other crew members include Ramesh Yadav - the producer, Hamsalekha - the music director, Suresh Urs - the editor and Nagaraja Adavani - the cameraman. Apart from direction, Baraguru has also written the screenplay for the film which he indicates was a tough task as he could not compromise on logic and reasoning while accommodating ideological issues. Baraguru who was a professor of Kannada in the Bangalore University
Bangalore University
Bangalore University is a public university located in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India. The university is one of the oldest in India, dating back to 1886...
is a well known personality in the Kannada literary field since he has held high positions like the chairman of Kannada Development Authority. The film was entirely shot in the vicinity of the Nalknad Palace
Nalknad Palace
Nalknad Palace is a palace located in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located near a village named Yavakapadi and was built between the years 1792 and 1794 AD. This palace was the last refuge of the last king of Kodagu, Chikka Veerarajendra before he was deposed by the...
in the Kodagu
Kodagu
Kodagu , also known by its anglicised former name of Coorg, is an administrative district in Karnataka, India. It occupies an area of in the Western Ghats of southwestern Karnataka. As of 2001, the population was 548,561, 13.74% of which resided in the district's urban centres, making it the least...
district of Karnataka.
Plot
The only character in the film is of an illustrator and a painter called as Shanti. An international peace body chooses her to create the logo of a world peace conference. In order to draw inspiration, Shanti travels to a picturesque hilly area where she gets accosted by a group of terrorists. They kidnap her and put forth a demand that she should take them to the conference as her assistants. Their ultimate plan is to blow up the conference hall. The main storyline of the film is the way in which Shanti solves this problem and saves the conference.From the storyline, it seems that more than one actor is required on the screen. However, Baraguru has handled this uniquely by showing only the character of Shanti on the screen while the remaining characters only contribute in terms of their voices.
Release
Baraguru decided to do some innovation in order to promote this film. He realised that due to the unique theme of this film; releasing this film in big theatres would not attract a sizeable audience. He decided to show this film in small towns and villages instead. He decided to travel along the highway between the towns of BangaloreBangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
and Belgaum
Belgaum
Belgaum is a city and a municipal corporation in Belgaum district in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the fourth largest city of the state of Karnataka, the first three being Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad....
and show this film in places that fall along the way. This unique method was termed as Shanti Chitra Yaatre (travel of the Shanti film). The film saw a fabulous response and in some towns like Davangere and Chitradurga
Chitradurga
Chitradurga is a town in the southern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of Chitradurga district. Chitradurga was also known by the names Chitradurg, Chitrakaladurga, Chittaldurg. Chittaldrug was the name officially used by the British Govt.-Geography:Chitradurga is...
people had to turn back since the film ran house-full. Despite being an art film
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
, around 50000 people are supposed to have seen this film.
Awards
- Guinness World Records in the category Fewest actors in a narrative film; an award shared with two other films, viz. the HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film YaadeinYaadein (1964 film)Yaadein is a 1964 B&W Hindi film directed and produced by Sunil Dutt also starring himself...
of 1964 by Sunil DuttSunil DuttSunil Dutt , born Sunil Balraj Dutt, was an Indian Hindi movie actor , producer, director and politician. He was the cabinet minister for Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government...
and a FrenchCinema of FranceThe Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
/AmericanCinema of the United StatesThe cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
film. La Derniere Lettre. of 2002. - Karnataka state award for the second-best film of the year 2004, thereby winning a cash award of Rs.75,000 and a silver medal.