Movie : Ghatashraaddha
Year : 1977
Banner : Suvarnagiri Films
Cast : Meena Kuttappa, Ajit Kumar, Jagannath, Ramprasad, Narayana Bhat, B Suresha, Shanta, Ramaswamy Iyengar, Srihari, MD Subba Rao
Music : B.V.Karanth
Direction : Girish Kasaravalli
Producer : Sadananda Suvarna
Story : U R Ananthamurthy
Synopsis
The film was set in 1920s and depicts a rural village in Karnataka, where a young widow, the daughter of a village scholar who runs a local school, finds herself pregnant after being seduced by a teacher. While the girl remains unaware of the happenings within and around her, she is excommunicated by her father, who performs her funeral rites (Ghatashraddha), while she is still alive. A little boy through whose eyes the entire story is perceived goes back home, after the school is closed down following the incident.
This movie also shows a clear picture of caste division amongst Brahmins and Shudras (untouchables) in quite a few scenes - when the little boy tries to touch the shudra slave he actually runs away saying it is not possible., and before the climax scene where the Shudra slave says to the main priest "He had saved his daughter (who got pregnant being a widow) even from the snakes, but could not save her from a Brahmin."
Awards
- Voted at International Film Festival Goa (2007) as one of the 10 Best Films made in 100 years of the Indian Film History
- National Film Award for Best Feature Film - 1977
- National Film Award for Best Music Direction - B.V. Karanth - 1977
- National Film Award for Best Child Artist - Ajith Kumar H.M - 1977
- Best Film Kannada State Film Award
- Best Director Kannada State Film Award
- Best Story Kannada State Film Award
- Best Script Kannada State Film Award
- Best Child Actor Kannada State Film Award
- Ducats Award at Manniem International Film Festival in Germany
- International Catholic Jury Award
- Presidents Golden Lotus as a the Best Indian Film
- Presidents Silver Lotus as a the Best Music
- Presidents Award for the Best Child Actor
DVD Details
- All Regions
- PAL
- English Subtitles
- Black & White