Katha Sangama (1976 film)

Katha Sangama (transl. Confluence of tales) is a 1976 Indian Kannada-language anthology film, directed by Puttanna Kanagal, based on three short stories;[1] Hangu by Giraddi Govindaraj, Athithi by Veena and Munithaayi by Eshwara Chandra. The film stars Kalyan Kumar, Rajinikanth, B. Saroja Devi and Aarathi in the lead roles. The supporting cast includes Lokanath, Vamana Rao, Shivaramaiah and Master Umesh. The film won three awards at the 1975–76 Karnataka State Film Awards, including the award for Best Actress (Aarathi).

Katha Sangama
DVD cover
Directed byPuttanna Kanagal
Screenplay byPuttanna Kanagal
Story byGiraddy Govindaraja
Veena
Eshwara Chandra
Based onHangu
by Giraddy Govindaraja
Athithi
by Veena
Munithayi
by Eshwara Chandra
Produced byC. S. Rajah
StarringKalyan Kumar
Saroja Devi
Aarathi
Rajinikanth
Gangadhar
Kutty Padmini
CinematographyB. N. Haridas
Edited byV. P. Krishna
Music byVijaya Bhaskar
Distributed byVardhini Art Pictures
Release date
  • 23 January 1976 (1976-01-23)
Running time
132 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

The 1984 Tamil film Kai Kodukkum Kai was an extended version of the Munithayi segment from this movie. Rajnikanth, who played the antagonist role in the Kannada movie, played the lead role in the Tamil version. The antagonist role of the Kannada movie was also an inspiration for Rajanikanth's characterization in the 1977 Tamil movie 16 Vayathinile directed by debutant Bharathiraja who was an associate of Puttanna Kanagal.[2]

Plot

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Hangu

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The movie is based on a short story by the Kannada writer Giraddi Govindaraj. It is about a poor university professor with high moral values and integrity who is offered a bribe from a wealthy contractor to push some grace marks to his son in his exam paper so that he could get enough percentage to qualify for a medical college. This happens just when the professor's young son is critically ill and requires expensive medical treatment. Whether the professor succumbs to the circumstances or he let go of his integrity forms the crux of the story.

Atithi

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It tells the story of a middle-aged woman who is the warden of a girls hostel. When younger she had refused to marry the man who loved her because of her ideals about feminism. She had even decided to say unmarried her entire life. A chance encounter with the man, now happily married to someone else, makes her question her earlier decision of not accepting true love.

Munithaayi

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It has a story of wealthy man marrying a blind girl (Aarathi) out of pity, but in his absence she is raped by an adolescent youth and later blackmailed. The husband eventually "forgives" her. Aarathi plays the role of the blind girl and Rajinikanth plays a small role as the man who rapes her. Rajinikanth's characterisation in this movie went on to be used in the 1977 movie 16 Vayathinile.[3]

The 1984 Tamil movie Kai Kodukkum Kai was based on this segment and was an extended version of the Munithaayi story.[4]

Cast

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Puttanna's big feats". The Hindu. 3 June 2005. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Rajinikanth's Kannada movies one must watch on his birthday, today". The Times of India. 12 December 2020.
  3. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2014) [2012]. Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography (2nd ed.). Penguin Books. p. 68. ISBN 978-81-8475-796-5.
  4. ^ "கன்னடத்தில் இருந்து தமிழுக்கு வந்த கை கொடுக்கும் கை". Maalai Malar (in Tamil). 29 November 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  5. ^ Reddy, Y. Maheswara (6 January 2023). "Second shot". Bangalore Mirror.
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