Starring: Ramesh Aravind, Akshaya Anand, Hema Panchamukhi, H.G. Attathreya, C.R. Simha, Shivram,
Vysali Kasarvalli, Soori
Director: Nagathihalli Chandrashekar
Producer:
Music Dir: Mano Murthy
Lyricist: Nagathihalli Chandrashekar, Gopal Krishna Adiga ? Poet ("Yava Mohna Murali Kareyitho...")
Singers: Rajesh Krishnan, Sangeetha Katti, Ramesh Chandra, Raju Ananthaswamy,
Distributor: Sri Sri
Genre: Romance, Drama

Synopsis

Three friends have grown up together since childhood, and have now completed their college studies. Surya (Ramesh Aravind) is in love with Bhumi (Hema Panchamukhi), but is afraid to tell her. Shashank (Akshay Anand) has called them to give them some important news. He has been accepted by an American University (in California) to do his M.Sc. They are both annoyed, and Surya says he should stay in his homeland, where he has his roots. Shashank says that in India you have to struggle to earn a living, whereas America is a land of opportunity.
Surya and Bhumi continue as friends, but Bhumi finds out he is in love with someone, but is unable to persuade Surya to tell her who the girl is, little realising it is she, herself.
Surya meets Shashank at the airport, when he comes back from America two years later, after completing his studies He extols the virtues of America, compared with India. Pressure is put on him, against his will, by the family to marry, before he goes back, otherwise he will marry an American girl and never return home. Their obvious choice is Bhumi. She does not want to marry Shashank, but is also persuaded. Meanwhile, Surya, who has never told Bhumi of his love, has recorded a cassette declaring his love to her. He leaves it in her room. His hopes are shattered when he hears of the planned wedding, but wishes his friends well. Then he remembers the cassette he had left in Bhumi?s room, and goes to retrieve it ? but as the servant had mixed the cassettes up when he was dusting, Surya takes the wrong cassette, and throws it into a nearby river.
Shashank and Bhumi get married, and go off together. Bhumi has taken all her cassettes with her, including the one with Surya?s love declaration. How will life be for them in America? How will life be for Surya without his beloved Bhumi? Will she hear the cassette, and what will happen if she does? To get the answer to these questions, watch the film

Songs:

1. Banalli vodo megha
2. Nooru janmako mooraru
3. Aaa aaa America
4. Hegide nammooru

Released Year: 1995
Running Time: 153 minutes/Colour/Kannada

Review

When this film was made, it was the biggest blockbuster movie in the history of Kannada cinema, and ran for 365 days in many cinemas in Karnataka. It was the first Kannada movie to be released in the United States.

It tells the story of childhood friendships in India, where children grow up together as friends, and remain close friends for life. The friends will do almost anything for each other. When one of the friends is a boy, and the other a girl ? sometimes they remain just as friends: sometimes one falls in love with the other ? and sometimes that love is reciprocated, sometimes it is not. In this case, there are two boys and a girl.

It also compares the lives of people who grow up in India, their homeland ? with those who emigrate, looking for a better life. Do they find what they are looking for?

This is a film with a tale well told, and is well worth watching, both by Indians in their own country and living abroad. And it is well worth watching by people from the West, because it will help them to understand something of Indian culture.

The songs are lovely ? lyrics, music and picturisation. ?Banalli vodo megha? shows the three friends enjoying the exuberance of their youthfulness, and also of living in Karnataka. ?Nooru janmako nooraaru? is a duet sung by Surya and Bhumi, with a group of well-choreographed female dancers in several differently coloured costumes, filmed in Karnataka. ?Aah aah aah America? is rather like a travelogue showing some of the attractions of America, being enjoyed by Shashank and ?Bhumi. Hegide nammooru? shows our three friends reminiscing about all the attractions of living in Karnataka, filmed against America scenes.

I would have liked to give this film 5 stars, but there is a fault, which is common to Indian films made abroad. The acting by the Indian stars, and also by all the characters who play the minor roles, is always superb. They are using the best of Indian acting talent. But the acting in this film by the Americans is unconvincing, and the dialogues are delivered without conviction, and sometimes they say things in English that Americans would not say. Had they used actors of the same calibre as the Indian actors, the film would have been much better.

But don?t be put off by my negative point. It?s a great film which tells a very real story.

Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]