| Dookudu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Srinu Vaitla |
| Written by | Srinu Vaitla (story) Gopimohan Kona Venkat |
| Produced by | Ram Achanta Gopichand Achanta Anil Sunkara |
| Starring | Mahesh Babu Samantha Prakash Raj Sonu Sood |
| Cinematography | K. V. Guhan Prasad Murella |
| Edited by | M. R. Varma |
| Music by | Thaman S |
Production company | 14 Reels Entertainment |
| Distributed by | GMB Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 175 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹35 crore[1] |
| Box office | ₹102 crore[2] |
Dookudu (transl. Aggression) is a 2011 IndianTelugu-languageaction comedy film directed bySrinu Vaitla and written by Vaitla,Kona Venkat, andGopimohan. It is produced by Ram Achanta, Gopi Achanta, and Anil Sunkara under the banner 14 Reels Entertainment. The film starsMahesh Babu,Samantha,Prakash Raj, andSonu Sood alongsideBrahmanandam who played a supporting role. The film revolves around Ajay Kumar (Babu), a police officer and son of ex-MLA Shankar Narayana (Raj), who awakes fromcoma, but his health remains perilous. To aid his recovery, Kumar masquerades as aMLA fulfilling his father's ambition for him, while also hunting his father's foes. The film was inspired by the 2003German filmGood Bye, Lenin!.
The film began production on 28 June 2010 atHyderabad. Shooting began on 22 October 2010 in Turkey and lasted till mid-September 2011. The film was predominantly shot in Hyderabad, with portions shot in Mumbai, Gujarat, Istanbul, Dubai, and Switzerland.Thaman S composed the music and M. R. Varma edited the film, whileK. V. Guhan handled the cinematography afterPrasad Murella left the project mid-way.
Dookudu was released on 23 September 2011 on 1800 screens worldwide. Upon release,Dookudu received positive reviews and was declared a success at thebox-office. It was cited as "The biggest hit you've never heard of" by theLos Angeles Times. The film collected a distributor share of over₹56.7 crore in its lifetime and grossed roughly₹102 crore in its lifetime making it the highest-grossing Telugu film of that year and the second highest-grossing Telugu film of all time. In addition, the film wonvarious accolades, which include sevenNandi Awards, sixFilmfare Awards, eightSIIMA Awards and eightCineMAA Awards.
The film was remade inBengali asChallenge 2 (2012) and inKannada asPower (2014).[3][4] It was dubbed inHindi asThe Real Tiger,Tamil asAthiradi Vettai andMalayalam asChoodan,Odia asDookudu, and Kannada asPolice Power.
During the political realm ofN. T. Rama Rao, Shankar Narayana is anindependentMLA of the constituency of Shankar Nagar, which is named after him, in Hyderabad, and is regarded as a champion for the poor. When a truck collides with the car his brother Satyam and he is in, Shankar goes into a coma. Except for his family, everyone else presumes that he is killed in the accident. His son Ajay is a police officer in Mumbai who fights against the mafia and is on a mission to apprehendMafia don Nayak who is involved inillegal drug trade,extortion, andarms trafficking.
When he heads to Turkey in an undercover operation, he meets Prashanthi, the daughter of Ajay's senior police officer and soon falls in love with her. She initially rejects his advances, so he pretends to give up. However, he is successful in the undercover operation and arrests Nayak's brother Bunty. After returning to India, he again meets Prashanthi. He tells her father to appreciate what she does and not be so strict. This, to his surprise, makes her reciprocates his feelings. In an attempt to arrest Nayak, Bunty and the police commissioner are killed and Shankar's loyal follower Sivayya reveals to Ajay that Nayak, along with Shankar's rival, Mallesh Gowda, and Shankar's other followers Meka Narsingh Rao, Ambarpet Ganesh, were behind Shankar's accident, so Ajay plots to kill all of them.
When Shankar comes out of the coma, the doctors who treated him advise his family that his life is at risk if he encounters or hears anything upsetting, disturbing, or shocking. Ajay hides the events surrounding the accident and shifts his family to his previously abandoned mansion which is now being used for film-making. Ajay creates a dummy political set-up at this mansion. In the guise of a reality television program, Ajay tricks an aspiring but unsuccessful film actor Padmasri by making him believe that the television show is being sponsored by actorAkkineni Nagarjuna's television channel and that Nagarjuna wants to offer Padmasri high remuneration for his realistic performance in the show. On the other hand, aspiring actors Bokka Venkata Rao and Mallesh Goud are tricked by Ajay with a real estate business deal to exploit his criminal nexus.
Ajay keeps this drama under wraps from Shankar by making him believe that Ajay is also an MLA revered by people fulfilling his dad's wishes. He marries Prashanthi after gaining her family's consent much to Shankar's delight. Meanwhile, Ajay manages to kill Ganesh and Mallesh without the knowledge of anybody while Shankar believes that they died due to ailments. Nayak reaches Hyderabad to kill Ajay and Ajay's drama is exposed before everybody except Shankar. Meka Narsingh Rao is killed by Nayak while the latter's henchmen are killed by Ajay and others in an encounter. Nayak is later killed in aRamleela event. Shankar also learns of Ajay's drama and is happy about the affection his son showed for him.
Ram Achanta, Gopi Achanta and Anil Sunkara under the banner 14 Reels Entertainment agreed to bankroll a film directed bySrinu Vaitla starringMahesh Babu in the lead role after completing their debut ventureNamo Venkatesa (2010). Regarding the same, Vaitla said that it would be a romance action film and a majority would be shot in North India using aSuper 35.[6] Vaitla worked on the script for more than a year and shelved it temporarily for further modification as he felt it became monotonous and resembles his previous work.[7]
Prasad Murella was selected as the cinematographer who walked out after having an argument on the film's sets with Vaitla because of differences.K. V. Guhan was selected to finish the remaining part.[8] Regarding the same, Vaitla said "I had made family dramas with Prasad before but in Dookudu, the demand increased from my side and we couldn't get in sync with each other. I liked the photography inAthadu done by Guhan. We gelled and he has done a fantastic job."[9]
Sonu Sood was cast as the antagonist.[10] Gopimohan denied the latter's inclusion as a rumour while the former's inclusion remained unconfirmed.[11]Parvati Melton was selected for anitem number.[12] Regarding the limited role of Samantha, Vaitla clarified that a lot depended on the film's subject and it was done mainly to develop the chemistry between the lead pair.[13]
The second schedule was conducted inDubai.[14]
Filming continued inGujarat where a song on Babu and Samantha was shot at theLittle Rann of Kutch. On its completion on 11 February 2011, the next schedule was planned to be shot in Hyderabad from 15 February 2011 to 3 March 2011.[15]
Some scenes were shot in a central jail set erected in Ramoji Film City with which the Hyderabad schedule was completed in mid May 2011. Some comedy and action scenes were shot in the set which was earlier erected forDhee (2007), Old City and other areas apart from Ramoji Film City.[16] A long schedule was shot in Switzerland later and Babu stayed back for taking rest on the schedule's completion and returned on 30 May 2011 to participate in the shoot from the next day.[17] Due to unforeseen circumstances, the film's shoot was delayed multiple times and by late June 2011, 40 days of shoot was pending.[18]
The filming came to an end in September 2011.[12]
Many critics have stated that the film's story is inspired by the GermantragicomedyGood Bye, Lenin! (2003). Regarding the same, Vaitla said "I sawGood Bye, Lenin! when the scripting ofDookudu was 50 per cent complete. It was a coincidence. I had the idea of showing Mahesh in a new way as a youngMLA. I also had the idea of the father. Then,Gopimohan came in, and we worked on the script for seven months. It's a multi-layered film and writing the screenplay for it was tough." He added that the idea of how lies are told and you get people to believe them was already shown in his earlier filmReady (2008). He chose a father-son relationship in the film as he wanted to show the emotions between them. Apart from that, Vaitla was inspired by other small things fromGood Bye, Lenin!. One such inspired sequence is where the protagonist and his team create fake news broadcasts and newspapers for showing them to his father to make the drama believable which includes makingN. T. Rama Rao the Prime minister of India in 2011. And, the scene where the protagonist lies to his father about few things without knowing that the latter is aware of the drama is inspired from the climax ofGood Bye, Lenin!.[3]
A reviewer fromSify felt that some of the scenes and characters are inspired by Babu's previous filmsAthadu (2005) andPokiri (2006) apart from the HindiPatiala House (2011).[19] In one of the comedy scenes, M. S. Narayana is seen performing spoofs ofYamadonga (2007),Magadheera (2009),Simha (2010) andEnthiran (2010).[20] According to K. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake, authors of the bookRoutledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas, the parodies too received positive response.[21]
Thaman S composed the soundtrack which consists of six songs. Viswa and Bhaskarabhatla penned lyrics of one song each whileRamajogayya Sastry penned lyrics for the remaining songs. The film's soundtrack, marketed byAditya Music, was unveiled by hosting a promotional event atShilpakala Vedika on 19 August 2011.[citation needed] The soundtrack was successful in its collections.[22]
The teaser poster featuring Babu along with a teaser trailer was unveiled on 31 May 2011 on the birthday eve of Babu's father, actorKrishna Ghattamaneni.[23] In an interview to Karthik Pasupulate ofThe Times of India, Anil Sunkara said "When the pre-release hype was hitting a fever pitch, we (producers) toured all over the state, meeting fan associations and telling them that it was a family entertainer, and distributing merchandise like stickers, badges and ribbons".[24]
A thanksgiving tour began inVijayawada where Vaitla, Anil and comedian Siva Reddy promoted the film at Hotel Mid City after which they went toEluru.[25] The film's success meet was held at Hotel Novotel in Hyderabad on 11 October 2011.[26] Another event was planned at Vijayawada for celebrating the completion of the film's 50-day run.[27] The event was held atVelagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College grounds on 12 November 2011.Udaya Bhanu hosted the event.[28]
The film was announced to be released on 23 September 2011 by the producers in the end of August 2011 after the release of the soundtrack.[29] The film released in 15 screens inChennai.[30]
The film released in 1600 screens worldwide and 89 theatres in North America. It was released in 21 countries including Canada, Trinidad, South Africa, Netherlands and Finland making it the first Telugu film to be released there. It became the first Telugu film to be released in 21 cities in North India.[24] The film released in 79 theatres in the United States.[31] It became the first Telugu film to be released in Botswana. The Telugu Association of Botswana screened it in Village Cinema at 10:30 am on 9 October 2011 with each ticket costing 40 pula.[32] Apart from them, the film released in countries like Singapore,Dubai,Malaysia, Ireland and United Kingdom while the producers received calls fromNairobi for the distribution rights.[33]
The film was shot atVikarabad railway station on 31 July 2011 after seeking necessary permission to shoot till 5:00 pm with police security. The shoot was called off because of rain and Babu left the premises at 4:30 pm. Shortly, sevenTelangana Students JAC activists landed at the railway station raising slogans againstSamaikhyandhra supporters. On seeing them, the crew started preparing to vacate the spot. While they were leaving, the activists started pelting stones at them. Police later dispersed the mob and production manager Rambabu and Ramesh filed a complaint against them.[34]
The activists disrupted the screening of the film in six theatres inRanga Reddy district and accused the unit members for registering false cases against them during the film's shoot at a railway station. They entered theatres at Vikarabad, Parigi, Tandoor, Chevella and Shamshabad and asked the managements not to screen the film but were dispersed by the police. Later Rambabu and Ramesh met them and assured them that the cases would be withdrawn immediately.[35] Police protection was given to the theatres screening the film in Hyderabad while the screening was much delayed in many centres in Telangana. The shows began from 6:00 am in all other regions, particularly in theceded area.[36]
Illegally copied versions of the film's DVDs were seized by the Vijayawada city police on 11 October 2011.[37] FICUS Inc., released the overseas DVD on 16 March 2012.[38] The film is also available onDisney+ Hotstar.
Suresh Kavirayani ofThe Times of India rated it 4 out of 5 and wrote "Dookudu is a typical Srinu Vytla film with a generous sprinkling of comedy. His narrative manages to keep the audience engaged until the end of the movie. This movie comes as a blessing for not just Mahesh Babu, but also for Tollywood, which is badly in need of a hit, after the recent spate of box office debacles. Srinu Vytla and Mahesh Babu have come out with a winner inDookudu".[39]Sify called the film "entertaining" and wrote "Despite the drawbacks,Dookudu holds the power to lure the crowds, with its commercial values. It is a bonanza to Mahesh Babu's fans and it will not disappoint the family crowds either."[19]IANS rated it 3.5 out of 5 and stated "Dookudu is a treat for Mahesh's fans. But others can also enjoy this film for its comedy elements and Mahesh's powerful presence."[40]
In contrast, B. V. S. Prakash ofDeccan Chronicle rated the film 3 out of 5 and wrote "Although, it is a tale of an honest cop who is on the trail of a dreaded don, director Sinu Vaitla relies on a band of comedians like Brahmanandam and M.S. Narayana to sustain audience interests, before his protagonist accomplishes his mission. Audiences have to leave behind their thinking caps at home to enjoy this comic-caper since the screenplay has few gaping holes and is repetitive as well."[41] Pavithra Srinivasan ofRediff gave it 2.5 out of 5 and criticised the film's screenplay and logic-defying sequences, but praised Babu's performance, calling his role a "cakewalk" and recommending the film for his fans in particular.[42]
Dookudu crossed the $1 million mark in the United States and grossed₹1.5 crore in two days, in United Kingdom, Australia, Dubai and Canada.[43][44] The film's three-day worldwide total became₹21.22 crore and in three days, the film surpassed the records set byMagadheera andSimha in terms of first weekend collections.[45]
By the end of its second week,Dookudu grossed₹70 crore at the worldwide box office.[46][47][48] The film grossed roughly₹112 crore by the end of its lifetime run at the worldwide Box office. The film completed 50 days in 312 centres and 100 days in 63 centres.[49]
Dookudu became one of the biggest hits in the history of Telugu cinema and was the biggest hit in Babu's career by the end of its lifetime run.[21][50][51] The film ended the five-year career slump of Babu and marked his image makeover.[52]The Times of India called it one of the top ten must watch Telugu films of 2011.[53] TheLos Angeles Times wrote a special article about Babu and the film's massive collections in United States and called the film "The biggest hit you've never heard of".[54][55] After the film's gross crossed₹1 billion, Income Tax Department officials conducted a raid on the Jubilee Hills residence of Babu as he was rumoured to get a remuneration of more than₹120 million for his next projects.[56]
The film's success made Samantha one of the most sought heroines in Telugu cinema.[57] Melton received more offers for performing item numbers post the film's release.[58] Vaitla's next film with Babu namelyAagadu (2014), which too was produced by 14 Reels Entertainment and had the same technical crew of this film, was a failure at the box office.The Hindu cited similarities withDookudu as one of the reasons of the film's failure.[59]
Dookudu was dubbed and released by 14 Reels Entertainment intoTamil entitledAthiradi Vettai andMalayalam entitled Choodan in 2013.[60] The film was also dubbed intoHindi asThe Real Tiger in 2012[61] and intoOdia under the same title as the original Telugu version sometime in 2018 at the earliest, plus Kannada asPolice Power in 2021, despite the existence of a remake in that language. The film was remade inKannada asPower (2014) and in Bengali asChallenge 2 (2012).