From: uds@usha.cs.wayne.edu (Seetamraju)
Subject: ...... On the cinema `raadhaa kaLyaaNam' .......
Organization: Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 00:12:55 GMT

	<Story at end>

Accidentally got hold of the video cassette of the movie `Radha KaLyaaNam'.
This, time I have been affected very much by the movie, while the first
viewing that was years back, had no effect nor did I have much remembrance of it

(Pl. see my next post on most beautiful actresses)...

We all have seen countless movies on how a `bhaaratiiya naari' has to
`forgo her lover' and accept her husband (forced on her by XXXXX)...
(the words `bhaaratiiya naari' should be in quotes. clearly)...

This movie is so different.  In the ending, the heroine and the second
hero (the husband) make a decision, that have no propagandist value, nor
are there any arguments as to whether they are `afraid of the society'.
The hero is shown from the very beginning as a practical man, and so
`aamE tO ika sambandham lEdu' is a reasonable stance on his part.
What stunned me was the arguments proposed by the writer of the movie.
I cant seem to find any `aayudham' to demolish the writers ideas...

Anyone recall that movie?  One of the very few movies that has left me
shaken to the core.  Why?  I would NOT want to be any of the three paatralu
(heros and heroine), if I had to take the decisions they took.

But is there some gaaDha nammakam on which one can say, the decision
of the hero to conclude ::--

	naa lover, mee bhaarya avvaccu, kaani mee bhaarya maLLee naa lover
	kaalEdu...

is WRONG ?  And the heroine and 2nd hero agree !!

katha vraasina vaaDu, caalaa aalOcinci vraasaaDu.  ee cinema lO, U detect
a definite hint of the age-old notion, that a female chooses that male to
be her husband, who can support her/her family.  This idea covers itself
with a unbeatable combination of events.  In itself, ths idea has no
support among many people....

Heres the story, to help U recall or know (if U havent seen it)....



raadhika (R) and chandramohan (C) are very poor, but from very respectable
family backgrounds.  Initially C, R ni dooram ga vuncutaaDu.  He is a
practical guy.  And gives highest aasanam to family honour, etc..., rather
than love, etc...   He sees no point in marrying a poor girl, which will only
cause problems for both of them <details deleted>

Finally he succumbs to the female charm.  Immedielty, (practical guy, isnt he?)
he decides to get married, in spite of the fact that poverty will make
their marraige decision, cruel & devastating for the families on both sides...

the girls family stops them.  appaTidaaka aalOcistunna sambandham ni appaTi_
_kappuDu khaayam cEsi, R ni pamputaaru.  R drinks poison, just before
Sobhanam.  The husband (sarat babu-  S  ) is a doctor.  He cleverly hides the
fact that she took poison, and tells everyone that she is too tired and so
fainted.  Twists to story.  S never wanted to marry again (He is a widower
with a child).  But his cani_pO_bOyE talli maaTakaadana_lEka talli kOsam maLLi
pElli cEsukunTaadu.  So, hearing R's story, (since he never wanted to marry
anyway), S honestly volunteers to search out C, and join C & R.  Now, S is very
rich, and even in the movie, he is introduced as 30-cillara in vayasu...
While S searches for C, he also helps R's lame tammuDu to get an artificial
leg, emplys her cEllalu, pays the loan for the only house, on which her mother
and grandfather are dependent on  (R's father runs away when she is young,
but the family is still considered `respectable').  All this he does as a
way of saying thanks to R, if she acts as a `real kODalu' till S's talli dies.
(She is known to be very terminal, and was given about a few weeks to die).
S promises to bring R & C together as soon as his mother dies.  Actually he
promises this to R only (as in the meanwhile, C is somewhere else, and R &
S are searching for him).  Ofcourse, we are shown scenes of C in the meanwhile
continuing his life, as if R never existed.  He continues his main aim
of composing music...

Just before S's mother dies, S finds C.  But keeps him away, till ...
Once S's mother dies, R, S and C get together.  C rejects R outright.  U dont
see R jumping up to meet him (given that they were so much in love earlier).
While, S calmly does the talking.

Now, heres the stunning part.  There is no dialogues as to whther the society
will accept this, nor are there dialogues about what is morally correct.
It all comes down to the C's stetement (I wrote that above), and the
final step.  Evaru, aa mangalasootram temputaaru ??

The last dialogue in the movie is this : (who else but C says this)

naaku caduvu lEdu.  telivaina vaaDini kaadu.  paascaatya sampradaayani
gurinci assalu teliyadu.  mana saampradaa_yaalani analyse cEsE arahata lEdu.
kaani nEnu, R ni naa prEmika ga teesuku veLLalEnu.  meeru mangaLasootram
tempalEru.  R tempukOni raadu.  evannin kaakunDaa, idi mana neeti kaadu.
Thank U and good bye.  Best wishes.

Then he goes back to marching the streets, looking for subsistence ...
			<End of Movie>


Seetamraju Udaya Bhaskar Sarma
(email : seetam @ ece7 . eng . wayne . edu)