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Sri Rama Rajyam

Sri Rama Rajyam (transl. The Kingdom of Lord Rama) is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language devotional film directed by Bapu (in his last venture) who co-wrote the film with Mullapudi Venkata Ramana, and produced by Yalamanchali Saibabu. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayanthara, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Srikanth, and its music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, which won him Nandi Award for Best Music Director.[3] Sri Rama Rajyam is a reboot of the 1963 blockbuster film Lava Kusa.[4]

Sri Rama Rajyam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBapu
Screenplay byBapu-Ramana
Story byBapu-Ramana
Based onRamayanam
by Valmiki
Produced byYalamanchali Saibabu
Starring
CinematographyP. R. K. Raju
Edited byG. G. Krishna Rao
Music byIlaiyaraaja
Production
company
Sri Sai Baba Movies
Release date
  • 17 November 2011 (2011-11-17)[1]
Running time
172 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Budget₹32 crore (US$3.8 million)[citation needed]
Box office₹72 crore (US$8.6 million)(India)[2]

Upon its release, Sri Rama Rajyam received positive reviews and became a commercial success.[5] Sri Rama Rajyam garnered seven State Nandi Awards, including the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film; three Filmfare Awards South, and one SIIMA Award.[6] The film was featured at the 42nd IFFI on 28 November 2011.[7][8] The film was simultaneously dubbed into Tamil, and Malayalam with the same title, and in Hindi as Ayodhyapati Sri Ram.[9]

Plot

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Lord Rama returns to Ayodhya after defeating Ravana along with Goddess Sita to be crowned as the emperor and settles down to a harmonious lifestyle. When his spies inform him that his reputation may be at stake as Sita had spent over a year in Ravana's Lanka, he asks Lakshmana to ensure that Sita is sent to exile. A devastated, pregnant, and distraught Sita is rescued by Valmiki, who takes her to his Ashram by renaming her Lokapavni, where she subsequently gives birth to twin sons Lava and Kusha. Lord Hanuman also accompanies Sita and serves her in the form of tribal child Balaraju. Valmiki trains them in every possible way, including knowledge, warfare, and religion. Ten years later, the twins decide to visit a drought and famine-ravaged Ayodhya to get the blessings of Srirama and Sita as well as recite the Ramayan, and here they find that Srirama has exiled Sita, and they return home disappointed and refuse to recite the Ramayan any more. The twins then stop the Aswamedha horse, not realising that they will soon be thrust into a confrontation with Lakshman, Rama, and the entire army of Ayodhya. After that, they find out that their father is Rama himself. Sita reunites her two sons Kusha and Lava with their father Rama and returns to her mother Bhudevi. Rama and his brothers renounce the throne and crown Rama's sons, Lava and Kusha, king. Rama returns to Vaikuntha. As he merges into his original form, Vishnu, he is reunited with Sita in her original form, Lakshmi.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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Veteran director Bapu announced that he would remake the 1963 film Lava Kusa with Balakrishna who reprises the role of Lord Rama which was enacted by his father N. T. Rama Rao in the original film.[11] Bapu's friend Mullapudi Venkata Ramana has written the screenplay and dialogues for the film and notably was his last film as he died before the film's release.[12] Bapu said that the title of the film was inspired from 1943 Hindi film Ram Rajya.[13]

Balakrishna was assigned to play Rama. Mamta Mohandas was the original choice [14] after considering Jyothika, Anushka Shetty and Sneha. But she couldn't do it owing to her cancer treatment, after which Nayanthara was selected to play Sita. Balakrishna said that when Saibabu approached him for the role the moment he said that Bapu is to direct the film, without any questions, he immediately said ‘yes'.[13] For the character, Balakrishna had to shave off his mustache.[15] Sandhya Janak was selected to play the role of queen Sumithra.[16] Saikumar was initially approached to enact the character of Bharatha but he was eventually replaced by Sameer.[17] Gaurav, Dhanush, and Pawan were selected to play the characters of Lava, Kusa and young Hanuman.[18]

Filming

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"A mythological film calls for a lot of work as the sets need to have a period look. For "Sri Ramarajayam" I made huge sets of durbars and palace interiors. My art director gave the sketch to the RFC staff and they created the set for us. Nearly 700 workers from RFC worked on the sets and completed it on time".

—Yalamanchili Saibabu about the set designs of the film.[19]

The filming began on 22 November 2010.[20] The costumes for the film was designed by Anu Vardhan. Anu stated that for Nayanthara, she went and picked up tulasi mala from authentic places. Balakrishna had used his father's accessories and jewellery and Anu replicated it to match with the heroine.[21] Yugandhar Tammareddy of Pixelloid said that Bapu and his team gave storyboards down to the last detail. Along with 100 of his team members, Yugandhar had his task cut out. "The breathtaking palace, the pushpaka vimanam, the Bhoodevi sequence…" were all created by his team. Yugandhar said: "For the palace, we asked the filmmakers to erect a 12-foot palace set just so that there is authenticity when people walk on the floor, lean against a wall or touch a piece of furniture. The rest was done on visual effects".[22] The film was entirely shot at Ramoji Film City with a set erected resembling a kingdom.[19]

Music

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Sri Rama Rajyam
Soundtrack album by
Ilaiyaraaja
Released15 August 2011 (2011-08-15)
Recorded2011
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length50:25
LanguageTelugu
LabelAditya Music
ProducerIlaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja chronology
Gaayam 2
(2010) 		Sri Rama Rajyam
(2011) 		Dhoni
(2012)

The audio of the film was released on 15 August 2011 and the launch was held at Bhadrachalam under Bhadradri Ramayya and Seetamma's Sannidi on the same day. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja and it features 15 tracks. The lyrics for the Telugu version were written by Jonnavithhula Ramalingeswara Rao, while Mankombu Gopalakrishnan and Piraisoodan penned the lyrics for the Malayalam and Tamil versions respectively.

Telugu version

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No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Jagadananda Karaka"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Shreya Ghoshal5:16
2."Evadunnadee Lokamlo"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam1:32
3."Sitarama Charitam"Shreya Ghoshal, Shweta Mohan6:35
4."Devulle Mechchindi"K. S. Chitra, Shreya Ghoshal5:25
5."Gali Ningi Neeru"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:36
6."Srirama Lera"Shreya Ghoshal, Sriram Parthasarathy4:47
7."Ramayanamu"K. S. Chitra, Shreya Ghoshal6:30
8."Dandakam"Surabhi Shravani, Keertana1:13
9."Sita Shrimantam"Shreya Ghoshal4:59
10."Rama Rama"Shweta Mohan, Anita4:35
11."Kalaya Nijama"Tippu1:55
12."Idi Pattabhi Ramuni"Shweta Mohan2:37
13."Saptashwarathamarudham"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam1:10
14."Shankuchakralu Polina"Shweta Mohan1:02
15."Mangalam Ramunaku"Anitha Karthikeyan, Keertana0:53
Total length:50:25

Tamil version

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All songs written by Piraisoodan.[23]

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Jagadananda Karaka"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chinmayi5:16
2."Evan Irukkar"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam1:32
3."Sitarama Charitam"Shweta Mohan6:35
4."Devargal Thittikka"Chithra, Chinmayi4:38
5."Pattabhisheka"Ganesa Sundaram0:55
6."Seethaseemandham"Chinmayi4:59
7."Kanava Nijama"Tippu1.38
8."Sree Ramavaarai"Sakyath, Chinmayi3:41
9."Rama Rama"Shweta Mohan, Anitha, Chinmayi3:11
10."Divya Soundarya"Anitha, Keerthana2:19
11."Kaatru Vaanam"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam0.48
12."Idhu Pattabhi"Shweta Mohan2:37
13."Saptashwarathamarudham"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam1:10
14."Sanguchankrangal"Swetha1:02
15."Mangalam Ramanukku"Anitha, Chinmayi0:53
16."Ramayaname"Chithra, Chinmayi3:44
Total length:50:25

Malayalam version[24]

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No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Jagadananda Karaka"Madhu Balakrishnan, Preetha P. V.5:16
2."Aarundivide Ulakathil"Madhu Balakrishnan1:32
3."Sitarama Charitam"Preetha P. V., Ranjini Jose6:35
4."Devarkalikichicha"Ranjini Jose, Preetha P. V.4:38
5."Ramaniduvan"Preetha P. V., Ranjini Jose3:41
6."Seethaseemandham"Chithra4:59
7."Vaayuvaanam"Madhu Balakrishnan4:38
8."Pattabhisheka"Ganesa Sundaram0:55
9."Rama Rama"Monisha3:11
10."Thambula Ragangal"Jyotsna2:19
11."Hrudutha Pathaksha"Madhu Balakrishnan0.48
12."Idhu Pattabhi Rama"Shweta Mohan2:37
13."Saptashwarathamarudham"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam1:10
14."Sanguchankrangal"Monisha1:02
15."Mangalam Raghurama"Jyotsna0:53
Total length:50:25

Release

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Theatrical

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The film was released on 17 November 2011.[1] The film was released in Tamil on 27 July 2012. The Malayalam version was released as well. Initially scheduled to be released on 10 November but was postponed.[25][when?] Producer Sai Babu has said that a good response has come from Malayalam movie lovers and was planned to release the Hindi version.[citation needed]

Marketing

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The film was promoted with posters attached in tricycles. P. V. V. Raghavendra Babu, general manager of Prathima Multiplex told "We want to bring back olden days of publicity for the latest mythological movie of Sri Rama Rajyam and get film lovers back to the theatres".[26]

Reception

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Box office

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The film completed 50 days on 5 January 2012 in 49 centres at the box office.[27]

Critical response

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The film received positive reviews from critics. CNN-IBN which gave a four stars, said "Sri Rama Rajyam is one film that the Telugu film industry can be proud of. Sri Rama Rajyam is a well-known story, so it's a challenge to remake such a classic, but Bapu's good work turns the remake into another classic. Filmgoers, who look for classics, should not miss this film".[28]

Deccan Chronicle rated three stars explains "Superstar Balakrishna finally stepped into his legendary father NTR's shoes and impressed audiences playing the role of Lord Rama. Veteran director Bapu deserves all the praise he gets for remaking the classic Lava Kusa (1963) and retaining the soul of the original".[29] NDTV described as "In all, Sri Rama Rajyam is a feel-good film that brilliantly showcases our ancient culture".[30]

Oneindia.in noted "Sri Rama Rajyam is a feel good film that showcases our ancient culture, heritage and values. The way Bapu managed to make the film into a visual and musical delight is extraordinary and it is a film that can give you an enriching experience while entertaining you in good measure".[31] Rediff gave three stars said "Kudos to Bapu and Saibabu for recreating the Ramayana magic on celluloid. Only Bapu, the veteran director, could have executed this mammoth task so well. Sri Ramarajyam is an optical feast. Go for it".[32] Sify gave verdict as "Good" and says "The movie holds ample strength to live up to the expectations at the box office. Bapu and his associate Ramana does not deviate much from Lava Kusa, and they took great pains to see that the element of exaggeration is completely checked".[33] The Hindu wrote: "The director Bapu should be applauded for re-inventing the mythological and using a glitzy starcast and getting an understated performance from all of them".[34]

Accolades

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Ceremony Category Nominee Result
Nandi Awards - 2011[35] Best Feature Film – Gold Sai Babu Won
Best Actress Nayanthara Won
Best Music Director Ilaiyaraaja Won
Best Cinematography Raju Won
Best Make Up P. Ram Babu Won
Best Female Dubbing Artist Sunitha Won
Best Choreographer Sreenu Won
59th Filmfare Awards South[36] Best Actress – Telugu Nayanthara Won
Best Female Playback Singer – Telugu
Won
Best Lyricist – Telugu
Won
1st South Indian International Movie Awards SIIMA Award for Best Cinematographer (Telugu) P. R. K. Raju Won

Legacy

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Director K. Viswanath compared the duo Bapu and Ramana to "technically perfect and smooth Rolls Royce".[37] Novel of the film based on the screenplay was released in 2012.[38] Rediff included the film in their list "Top Five Telugu Films of 2011".[39]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sri Rama Rajyam Movie Official Blog". Naga Chaitanya. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Bala Krishna Sri Rama Rajyam Total Collections". Tollyrevenue. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Nandi Award Winners List 2011". Telugu.way2movies.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  4. ^ Suresh Krishnamoorthy (18 November 2011). "Reliving the magic of 'Lava Kusa'". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  5. ^ M Suganth (13 November 2011). "Sri Rama Rajyam in demand". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  6. ^ "2011 Nandi Awards winners list". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013.
  7. ^ "I cast actors according to the requirement of the script" (PDF). IFFI daily. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Sri Rama Rajyam at IFFI". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  9. ^ Prakash, Mythili (2 April 2012). "SPB and Chinmayi voice for Balakrishna and Nayanthara in Sri Rama Rajyam movie - Tamil Cinema News - Latest News on Kollywood". Tamilcinemanews123.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Tollywood's favorite mommy". The Times of India. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Bapu's Lava Kusa with Balakrishna". Sify. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Writer Mullapudi passes away". The Hindu. 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  13. ^ a b Narasimham, M. l (12 November 2011). "Preview: Epic comes full circle". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  14. ^ "నాకు ఇంకా కాన్సర్ అని ప్రచారం చేస్తున్నారు | Mamta Mohan das Emotional Exclusive Interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on 26 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  15. ^ Bhat, Prashanth. "Balakrishna's close shave". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  16. ^ Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (3 December 2011). "Juggling multiple roles". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  17. ^ Murthy, Neeraja (20 February 2011). "His own voice". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  18. ^ Murthy, Neeraja (18 December 2011). "The epic wonders". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  19. ^ a b "Ramoji Film City: A world of fantasy". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  20. ^ "Sri Rama Rajyam shoot from November 22". Sify. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  21. ^ Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (11 December 2011). "Customising fashion". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  22. ^ Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (8 December 2011). "Photo finish". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) Tamil Movie CD-Rip 320KBPS MP3 Songs Music By Ilaiyaraaja". Starmusiq.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  24. ^ Raaga.com. "Sriramarajyam Songs Download, Sriramarajyam Malayalam MP3 Songs, Raaga.com Malayalam Songs". www.raaga.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  25. ^ "Sri Ramarajyam postponed". Sify. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  26. ^ Dayashankar, K. M. (24 November 2011). "Bringing back publicity through tricycles". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  27. ^ "SRR completes 50 days". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  28. ^ "Telugu Review: 'Sri Rama Rajyam' is a must watch". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  29. ^ B.V.S. Prakash. "Sri Rama Rajyam review: Glimpses of NTR in Balayya's role". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  30. ^ "Review in pics: Sri Rama Rajyam". NDTV. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012.
  31. ^ "Sri Rama Rajyam – Movie Review". Oneindia.in. 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  32. ^ Radhika Rajamani. "Review: Sri Ramarajyam is a visual treat". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  33. ^ "Sri Ramarajyam review". Sify. Archived from the original on 1 December 2013.
  34. ^ Nanisetti, Serish (19 November 2011). "Return of the mythological". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  35. ^ "Nandi awards for year 2011 - Telugu cinema news". idlebrain.com.
  36. ^ "59th Idea Filmfare Awards South (Winners list)". Filmfare Awards. Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  37. ^ Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (18 December 2011). "Back on screen". Thehindu.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  38. ^ Kolanu, Manjula (23 March 2012). "Epic on a storyboard". Thehindu.com. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  39. ^ "The Top Five Telugu Films Of 2011". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
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