# Tagore (film)

Tagore is a 2003 Indian Telugu-language vigilante action film directed by V. V. Vinayak. The film stars Chiranjeevi, Shriya, and Jyothika, with Prakash Raj and Sayaji Shinde in pivotal supporting roles. The film features music by Mani Sharma and cinematography by Chota K. Naidu. Tagore is a remake of the 2002 Tamil film Ramanaa, with significant changes made to suit Chiranjeevi's stardom and the local context.
Tagore had a wide release, rivaling Bollywood's major films of the time. Upon release, it received positive reviews, particularly for its narration, Chiranjeevi's performance, and the impactful crowd scenes. The film became a significant commercial success, breaking several box office records, and went on to become the second highest-grossing Telugu film of its time, surpassed only by Indra (2002), another Chiranjeevi starrer. The song "Nenu Saitham," written by Suddala Ashok Teja, won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics.

## Plot

The story begins with the mysterious disappearance of 15 Mandal Revenue Officers (MROs), of whom 14 are later released, while one is found murdered. Beside the victim's body, the police uncover incriminating files and a tape, which reveal that the officers were targeted for being the most corrupt among their peers. The Anti-Corruption Force (ACF), a vigilante organization, claims responsibility, declaring its mission to eradicate corruption by exposing malpractices, abducting officials, and executing the most egregious offenders.
The ACF expands its operations to other government departments, including the Public Works Department (PWD) and the police force. Their actions instill fear among bureaucrats and temporarily curb illegal activities. However, corruption resurfaces due to pressure from criminal elements. The ACF identifies Badrinarayana, a powerful businessman, as the root cause of systemic corruption and escalates its efforts against him.
Meanwhile, Suryam, a police constable and an IPS-qualified individual who failed to secure an officer-level post due to his inability to pay a bribe, takes up the case to earn a promotion. Leveraging his medical leave, Suryam investigates the case, hypothesizing that a non-corrupt official in each government office may have been responsible for passing insider information to the ACF. Tracing their connections, he discovers that the officials are alumni of National College and are led by their former professor, Tagore, who serves as the ACF’s leader. However, Tagore’s true identity remains unknown to Suryam.
Tagore lives a seemingly simple life, raising adopted children from diverse cultural backgrounds. While appearing as a mild-mannered professor by day, he secretly orchestrates the ACF's operations. Tagore’s transformation into a vigilante is rooted in a personal tragedy. On a Deepavali day, his apartment building collapses due to substandard construction linked to a highway project undertaken by Badrinarayana’s company. The incident claims the lives of Tagore’s wife, son, and uncle. Seeking justice, Tagore confronts government officials, only to face apathy. When he discovers that corruption enabled the disaster, Tagore forms the ACF to eliminate corrupt elements, including Badrinarayana.
In one incident, Tagore exposes corruption at a hospital by orchestrating a sting operation. He presents evidence of fraudulent medical practices and gets the hospital sealed, leading to the dean’s arrest. However, the dean, revealed to be Badrinarayana’s son, commits suicide. Enraged, Badrinarayana investigates Tagore and is shocked to discover that Tagore, presumed dead, is alive.
As Suryam closes in on the ACF, its members are captured and tortured by the police. To save his students, Tagore surrenders, even though Badrinarayana escapes and retaliates, killing several ACF members. Tagore’s surrender garners widespread public support, prompting a meeting with the Chief Minister. Despite the opportunity for clemency, Tagore insists on accountability for his actions.
In court, Tagore delivers a compelling speech on the devastating impact of corruption on the nation, particularly on its youth. He confesses to killing Badrinarayana and his associates and accepts a five-year prison sentence. The film concludes with Tagore emphasizing the importance of eradicating corruption to safeguard the country’s future.

## Cast

* Chiranjeevi as Ravindranath Tagore, professor of National College
* Shriya as Devaki
* Jyothika as Nandini aka Nandhu, Tagore's wife
* Prakash Raj as Constable Suryam
* Sayaji Shinde as Badrinarayana
* Puneet Issar as Police Commissioner Balbir Singh
* Sunil as Boost, a babysitter who always gets insulted by the kids fostered by Tagore
* K. Viswanath as Chief Minister
* Rama Prabha as Tagore's grandmother
* M. S. Narayana as Tagore's uncle
* Ahuti Prasad as Public Prosecutor Subba Rao
* Raja Ravindra as Badrinarayana's son
* Uttej as Auto Driver
* Sarika Ramachandra Rao as Suryam's colleague
* Narsing Yadav as Goon
* Kota Srinivasa Rao as Investigation Officer
* Venu Madhav as Clerk
* Dharmavarapu Subrahmanyam as Department Officer
* Jeeva as Investigation Officer
* Ramaraju as Investigation Officer Ramaraju
* Jenny
* Sameer Hasan
* Subbaraya Sharma
* C. V. L. Narasimha Rao as a patient's husband
* V. V. Vinayak as Gopi
* Raghu Karumanchi as Subbu
* FEFSI Vijayan as Jailor
* Ravichandran as Judge
* Pavala Syamala as Grandma from government hospital whose husband died
* Kalairani as an ACF member's mother
* Master Sajja Teja as Tagore's adopted son
* Baby Kavya as Tagore's adopted daughter

## Production

Tagore was directed by V. V. Vinayak and produced by B. Madhu under the banner of Leo Projects. Madhu, a Telugu-speaking engineer, had previously produced two Tamil films and worked as an associate producer for Oscar Films, where he was mentored by Oscar Ravi. After the success of Indra (2002), Chiranjeevi collaborated with Vinayak for Tagore, which is a remake of the 2002 Tamil film Ramanaa, written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss. Initially, actor Rajasekhar had expressed interest in starring in the Telugu remake but was unable to secure the rights.
To suit Chiranjeevi's image, Tagore was adapted with significant changes, including alterations to the climax and adding more songs for the protagonist. These modifications helped the film establish its own identity. The dialogue "Meeku mukhyamantriki vunnanta network vundi" (You have the network of a chief minister) was written by Paruchuri Venkateswara Rao. Chiranjeevi was initially hesitant to have it during the court scene. The filmmakers convinced him to keep it, agreeing to cut it if it didn’t work well. After reviewing the footage, Chiranjeevi still wanted to remove it, but the filmmakers insisted on keeping it. The dialogue was praised in the final version of the film. Additionally, a dialogue stating "Meeru devudu" (You are a god) appeared three times in the film, but Chiranjeevi requested its removal, feeling that it crossed the line of character portrayal and veered too much into personal adulation.
The climax was filmed at Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, where a large crowd of Chiranjeevi's fans gathered. This led to a confrontation with the police, resulting in a baton charge and injuries to two fans. Director Vinayak intervened to restore order during the incident.

## Music

Tagore features music composed by Mani Sharma. The song "Nenu Saitham," written by Suddala Ashok Teja, won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics.

## Release

Following the success of Indra (2002) and Chiranjeevi's unprecedented stardom, Tagore had a massive release, rivaling Bollywood's big-ticket films of the time. Three prominent producers of Telugu cinema, Allu Aravind, Aswini Dutt, and N. V. Prasad, served as distributors for the film, covering the Nizam, Krishna, and Ceded regions, respectively. Director V. V. Vinayak distributed the film in the East Godavari area.
The film's release generated immense fan excitement, leading to incidents such as stampedes and clashes between rival fan groups. Some theatres also reported black marketing of tickets and violent disputes over ticket distribution. The film was also released internationally, in countries including the USA, UK, Singapore, Dubai, and Kuwait. During the premiere in Singapore, crowd-related issues required police intervention.
Tragically, three fans lost their lives in stampedes at theatres in Rajahmundry and Mangalagiri during the film’s release. In response, Chiranjeevi expressed his condolences and announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for each deceased fan. His wife, Surekha, and son, Ram Charan, visited Rajahmundry to personally deliver the compensation to the victims' families, with additional financial support provided by other associates.
Some Chiranjeevi fans formed an organization called ACF (All Chiranjeevi Fans) and raided video shops in areas such as Dilshuknagar, Kukatpally, and Nandyal in October 2003, in search of pirated copies of the film.

## Reception
### Box office

Tagore broke numerous opening records, becoming a record earner in regions such as Nizam, Uttarandhra, and overseas. It achieved the second-highest worldwide share of ₹28.45 crore for any Telugu film at the time, following Indra. It also recorded the second-highest share for an Indian film in 2003, behind Koi... Mil Gaya, and the third-highest share globally.
The film set impressive records for its theatrical run, completing 50 days in 253 centers and 100 days in 192 centers. These records remained unbeaten until Magadheera surpassed them in 2009.

### Critical reception

Sify rated the film three-and-a-half out of five and wrote, "Though the story line is thin, the narration is fast paced and the film is technically excellent". Jeevi of Idlebrain.com rated the film 3 3⁄4 out of 5 and appreciated the performances, stating, "Chiranjeevi is at his best, be it in histrionics or looks." On screenplay, he added, "Vinayak made sure that the screenplay is gripping enough to tell a simple story in a powerful way". Gudipoodi Srihari of The Hindu wrote, "The film is worth watching especially for the way the crowd scenes are shot".

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2003 | National Film Award for Best Lyrics | Suddala Ashok Teja | Won |
| 2003 | Santosham Best Actor Award | Chiranjeevi | Won |
| 2003 | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor - Telugu | Prakash Raj | Won |