| Bharata Ratna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Kodi Ramakrishna |
| Story by | Posani Krishna Murali |
| Dialogues by |
|
| Produced by | Boyinapalli Srinivasa Rao |
| Starring | Vijayashanti Vinod Kumar |
| Cinematography | Kodi Lakshman |
| Music by | Vandemataram Srinivas |
Production company | Pratima Film Productions |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Bharata Ratna is a 1999 IndianTelugu-languageaction drama film directed byKodi Ramakrishna.[1] The film starsVijayashanti in a dual role as Vijaya and Bhavani, alongsideVinod Kumar,Kota Srinivasa Rao, and Raghunatha Reddy. It was produced by Boyinapalli Srinivasa Rao under the Pratima Film Productions banner, with music composed byVandemataram Srinivas.[2]
Bharata Ratna was released on 4 June 1999, and was later dubbed in Tamil asBharatha Rathna (with a few reshot scenes withSenthil andPandu) and Hindi asCaptain Bhavani. It received theSarojini Devi Award for a Film on National Integration at the 1999Nandi Awards.[3]
Vijaya (Vijayashanti) and Gopi (Avinash) are petty thieves who steal from the rich to help the poor, reminiscent ofRobin Hood. Meanwhile, an underworld don (Kota Srinivasa Rao) and a corrupt Home Minister (Raghunatha Reddy) engage in arms smuggling across theIndia–Pakistan border and support terrorist activities inKashmir.
A police officer named Sekhar (Vinod Kumar) arrests Vijaya and Gopi but acts strangely close to Vijaya, eventually revealing that she is already married to him. Sekhar introduces Vijaya to Durga Bhavani (also played by Vijayashanti), aMajor in theIndian Army, leading the fight against terrorists in Kashmir. The film then explores the complexities of their relationships and the challenges they face in stopping the arms smugglers and rescuing aUnited Nations team held captive by insurgents.
As of March 1999,Bharata Ratna had completed filming, with its climax shot at the international border nearJaisalmer. The film was promoted as one of the first inIndian cinema to feature a female lead, played by Vijaya Shanti, portraying an army officer who confronts enemy forces at the border.[4]
According to executive producer Ram Mohan Rao, key scenes were filmed inKulu andManali under challenging conditions, with temperatures as low as two degrees Celsius. The crew worked through three nights in heavy snowfall to capture scenes essential to the storyline.[4]
An additional feature of the film includes Vijayashanti singing a duet withUdit Narayan. A March 1999 press conference noted thatBharata Ratna was scheduled for release in late March 1999.[4]
Music for the film was composed byVandemataram Srinivas.[2]
Sify praised Vijayashanti's dual-role performance and the gripping climax but found the supporting cast passable and the music average. It noted that the narrative was engaging, though the military scenes were less impactful compared to films likeHaqeeqat (1964) andBorder (1997).[2] Griddaluru Gopala Rao ofZamin Ryot gave the film a positive review, praising the direction, story, and Vijayashanti's performance, as well as the cinematography.[5]Andhra Today wrote "Though the subject chosen is quite good, lack of depth in handling the topic leaves the audience a disappointed lot".[6]
In 2020, Vijayashanti reflected on her role as Bhavani in the film, particularly in light of theSupreme Court's ruling that supported gender equality in the armed forces, expressing that the judgment fulfilled the vision she portrayed as an army officer in the film.[7]
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