| Ondu Muttina Kathe | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Shankar Nag |
| Screenplay by | Shankar Nag |
| Produced by | A. Dwarakanath A. Ramadas A. S. Murthy D. K. K. Prasad |
| Starring | Rajkumar Archana |
| Cinematography | B. C. Gowrishankar |
| Edited by | P. Bhaktavatsalam |
| Music by | L. Vaidyanathan |
Production company | Padmashree Enterprises |
| Distributed by | Vajreshwari Combines |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Ondu Muttina Kathe (transl. Story of a Pearl) is a 1987 IndianKannada language film directed byShankar Nag, starringRajkumar andArchana.[1] It is based onJohn Steinbeck's 1947novellaThe Pearl.[2][3] This was the last directorial of Shankar Nag. It is also the only movie in which he directed Rajkumar, making him the youngest person to direct him.[4]
The movie was not very successful but is still remembered for its screenplay and technical superiority.[5] It is considered one of the cult classic movies in the history ofKannada cinema.[6]
The film is notable for the underwater fighting sequence by Rajkumar at the age of 58[7] with a London-made artificial octopus shot in the Maldives ocean with a Canadian camera by a German cameraman.[8] It was the first Indian film to have an underwater action sequence shot in an ocean[9] outside India[10] without the help of oxygen mask.[8]
The movie narrates the tale of Aithu, apearl diver, who has to face many problems when he decides to sell a precious pearl which he finds in the ocean.[11]
The film was shot across at Karwar, Gokarna beach, St. Mary's Island and Charmadi Ghat.[12][13]
Shankar had confessed in an interview that he had failed to break Rajkumar's image but was satisfied that an effort was made to tamper with the star system and appreciated Rajkumar for being co-operative in this cause by appearing in a role which was not typical.[14][15] Riding on high expectations,Ondu Muttina Kathe received mixed response upon release. However, it ended up doubling its investment.[4] It had the lowest share for aDr Raj movie in the 1980s. The movie just ran for 7 weeks (less than 50 days) in the main theatre which again was the lowest for a Dr Rajkumar movie in the 1980s putting the then lowestNee Nanna Gellalare (63 day) to the second position.Ondu Muttina Kathe has achieved cult status which in turn is evident from it being frequently shown onUdaya TV. It is considered one of the most technically advanced films of the 1980s era ofIndian cinema.
| Ondu Muttina Kathe | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 1987 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Label | Sangeetha |
L. Vaidyanathan composed the background score for the film and the soundtracks. Lyrics for the soundtracks were penned byChi. Udaya Shankar. The album consists of five soundtracks.[16] This was the first film where Sadhu Kokila worked as keyboard player.[17]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mutthonda Thande" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar,Rathnamala Prakash | 05:57 |
| 2. | "Mallige Hoovinanthe" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar, Rathnamala Prakash | 04:47 |
| 3. | "Mutthondu Bandaithu" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | C. Ashwath | 03:57 |
| 4. | "Ondu Eradu" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar,Sunil Raoh,Sowmya Raoh | 04:03 |
| 5. | "Melinda Hunnime Chandra" | Chi. Udaya Shankar | Dr. Rajkumar,Shankar Nag | 04:30 |