Sri Ramadasu

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Sri Ramadasu is a 2006 Telugu devotional biopic written and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao about the musician-saint Kancharla Gopanna, remembered as Ramadasu, who built the Rama temple at Bhadrachalam. Nagarjuna plays Ramadasu, with Akkineni Nageswara Rao as the saint Kabirdas, Sneha, Suman as Rama and Nassar as the Golconda ruler Tanisha. A new version of V. Nagayya’s 1964 film Ramadasu, it was released on 30 March 2006, praised especially for Nagarjuna and M. M. Keeravani’s music, and ran 100 days in 67 centres.

What the story is about

In Nelakondapalli, young Kancharla Gopanna marries his cousin Kamala despite her father’s objections and an astrologer’s warning that her husband is bound to go to jail. His maternal uncles Madanna and Akkanna, ministers at the court of Tanisha of Golconda, introduce him at court, and he is appointed tahsildar of Bhadrachalam. There, Dammakka, a devout woman who has been tending idols of Rama found in an anthill, saves his life, and her devotion turns Gopanna into an ardent follower of Rama. He vows to build a temple, gives up his comforts, and gathers the means to do it, while a rival official waits for a chance to bring him down. The story then follows the well-known legend of Ramadasu, which we will leave to the film.

Cast and crew

• Nagarjuna as Kancharla Gopanna / Ramadasu
• Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Kabirdas
• Sneha as Kamala, Ramadasu’s wife
• Suman as Rama
• Sujatha as Dammakka
• Nassar as Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (Tanisha)
• Jaya Prakash Reddy as Mathisahib
• Tanikella Bharani as Kamala’s father
• Sunil as Ramana Sastry
• Brahmanandam, Ali and Raghu Babu
• Teja Sajja as Raghunatha, Ramadasu’s son (as a child)

Writer-director: K. Raghavendra Rao, from J. K. Bharavi’s script. Producer: Konda Krishnam Raju (Aditya Movies). Music: M. M. Keeravani. Cinematography: S. Gopal Reddy. Editing: Sreekar Prasad. Runtime: 150 minutes.

Making and music

Jyothika was first signed as the female lead but withdrew because of her wedding preparations, and Sneha replaced her. Keeravani’s soundtrack, with lyrics by Veturi, Chandrabose, Suddala Ashok Teja, J. K. Bharavi and others, features singers including S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chitra, Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan and Keeravani himself.

Reviews

Critics were full of praise for the lead and the music. The Hindu wrote that “Nagarjuna steals the show as Ramadasu”, calling it “another winner” after Annamayya and singling out the prison episode and Keeravani’s “musical chartbuster”. Idlebrain (3.75/5) said Nagarjuna “did extremely well in the title role” and called the film “a fresh breeze” among formula films. IndiaGlitz called Nagarjuna “a revelation” and Keeravani “the other hero of the movie”.

Box office and awards

The film opened on 229 screens, 173 of them in Andhra Pradesh and 25 overseas. According to the trade site T2BLive, it ran 100 days in 67 centres and earned a distributors’ share of over ₹14 crore; The Hindu’s year-end review of 2006 is cited for its ₹18 crore budget. Nagarjuna won the Nandi Award for Best Actor, and the film also won Nandi Awards for Best Home-viewing Feature Film, make-up and costumes. At the Filmfare Awards South, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam won Best Male Playback Singer – Telugu and S. Gopal Reddy Best Cinematographer.

Where to watch Sri Ramadasu

Sri Ramadasu is listed on Aha: our record is based on the Aha listing. We do not have a date for when it was added. Availability can vary by region and plan, so check the listing before you press play.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Sri Ramadasu and the reviews and reports it cites, linked above; the Aha listing; our own cast and crew records.