Suman was arrested on the basis of far more offensive complaints filed by three young girls claiming that he had abducted, raped and forced them to act in blue films. The charge against him, of course, was far more serious than the mere illegal possession of a few blue films. On the night of May 18, a group of policemen arrived at Suman's house, seized some pornographic video tapes and arrested Suman. Tall and handsome, he was one of the top actors of the Tamil and Telugu screens, earning Rs 5 lakh per film and completely booked up to the end of And then, suddenly, the bubble burst. At 26, Suman Thalwar was already at the peak of his career.
And, in the process, indicated that there is more to Nagarjuna than mere youth, and anger.Jump to navigation.
While authenticity of locale might be a talking point, it is Nagarjuna's hugely realistic - seasoned critics have tended to use superlatives - performance that has wowed the down south audience. So we preferred to do the shoot on a set, erected at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad." "Also," says producer Raju, "the temple today has several modern amenities, electric lights and such all over the place, which would have detracted from the authenticity of the period we were looking to recreate. Unit members of VMC Productions talk of how they had to erect a replica of the Tirupathi shrine, as photography/cinematography is prohibited within the environs of probably the most popular, and certainly the most cash rich, temple in India today. Vincent's cinematography and M M Keeravani's (known to Bollywood denizens as M M Kreem, the composer of, among other films, Criminal) music are other major credits, while most of the songs in the film are Annamayya's original compositions. Raju roped in K Raghavendra Rao to direct and, in a casting coup of epic proportions, also roped in Nagarjuna to star as the poet while Suman, another of the commercially viable heroes in Telugu cinema, plays Lord Balaji. Interestingly, history meets legend when the king got the poems of Annamayya inscribed on copper plates for posterity - said plates being still very much in existence at the Thirumala Devasthanam treasure house.Īnnamayya, thus, ranks among the immortal names in Telugu literature and religion - and thus provided obvious inspiration for film producer V Doraiswamy Raju who, just incidentally, happens to be a member of the Tirupati Devasthanam. The king not only repented but, to no one's surprise, became a staunch devotee of the patron deity of Tirupathi. When you refuse a king, you get bunged in prison, which is where the saintly poet found himself - till the ubiquitous Balaji intervened, in miraculous fashion, to procure his release.
More from the realm of legend, which holds that Annamayya, on being appointed court poet, was asked to come up with a ditty celebrating his earthly patron - and promptly refused. More factually, Annamayya was the court poet of Narasimha Raya of the Penukonda satrapy. Mostly on the subject of the deity he adored, but a few also casting a rebellious, iconoclastic look at prevailing social evils (we refer, here, to the period 1408-1503).ĭiscrimination against women was a favourite theme - though in the event, Annamayya did marry two women, his own nieces - and legend, again, holds that the chief guest, if incognito, at the wedding was none other than Lord Balaji himself. Annamayya's curriculum vitae includes an estimated 32,000 kirtanas and krithis. Whatever, now the film is a big time hit in neighbouring Karnataka as well.Īnnamacharya - or Annamayya - was, legend has it, a poet whose muse was Balaji, the lord of the seven hills (Tirupati, to give it the more familiar name). Nagarjuna with Kasturi and Ramya Krishnan in Annamayya. Or perhaps because Nagarjuna's portrayal was stunning enough, in an unfamiliar persona, to merit a second visit. Click for bigger pic!īut a Nagarjuna with close cropped hair and caste mark on forehead, clad in saffron, holy beads round his neck and playing a saint to the hilt? All of Andhra Pradesh took a double take when Annamayya hit the marquee - and went again and again to the theatres, perhaps not believing the evidence of their eyes the first time round. He's also a cool young man - very grunge, suave, with it, at ease surfing in Mauritius, Tabu in tow, for Jab Dil Pe Koi Aati Hai. If Telugu cinema has an angry young man, then it should be Nagarjuna - the tall, hunky hero whose trip in life appears to be to bash up the baddies, if you judge by films like Shiva. Rediff On The Net, Movies: Nagarjuna plays a religious poet in Annamayya
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