Kanyadanam

Kanyadanam is a 1998 Telugu drama directed by E. V. V. Satyanarayana and produced by Ambica Krishna, from a story by Janardhana Maharshi. Srikanth, Upendra and Rachana Banerjee play the leads, and Koti composed the music. It was released across Andhra Pradesh on 10 July 1998 and runs 142 minutes.

What the story is about

A group of bachelors come to the city looking for work. Among them is Venkat, who falls for Vandana the moment they meet, and she for him. But Vandana ends up married to someone else, Niwas. The film is about what Niwas does when he discovers that his wife’s heart belongs to another man, a theme that Andhra Today called “not very traditional”, the story of two lovers “whose reunion goes against the sanctity of marriage”.

Cast and crew

• Srikanth as Niwas
• Upendra as Venkat
• Rachana as Vandana
• Kota Srinivasa Rao as Venkat’s father
• Vinod Bala as Madhu, Sivaji as Seshu and Rajeev Kanakala as Sarma
• Brahmanandam in a comic role and Gokina Rama Rao as Raghava Rao

Director: E. V. V. Satyanarayana. Producer: Ambica Krishna. Story: Janardhana Maharshi. Music: Koti.

Behind the film

Kanyadanam was Upendra’s first Telugu film, and it cast both him and Srikanth in softer, romantic roles; Wikipedia notes it showed Upendra as a lover boy despite his eccentric image.

Reviews and box office

Andhra Today called it “an out and out family entertainer, catering to the tastes of all sections”, crediting the director for getting audiences to accept an unconventional theme. It was a box-office success and one of the hits of 1998, according to Andhra Online’s review of the year; no figures are given.

Where to watch Kanyadanam

We do not have a confirmed streaming listing for Kanyadanam on file. If we verify one with a platform, it will appear on this page.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Kanyadanam and the review and report it cites, linked above; our own cast and crew records.