Ondanondu Kaladalli

Ondanondu Kaladalli
Poster
Kannadaಒಂದಾನೊಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ
Directed byGirish Karnad
Written byKrishna Basaruru
Girish Karnad
Screenplay byKrishna Basaruru
Girish Karnad
Produced byG. N. Lakshmipathy
K. N. Narayan
StarringShankar Nag
Sundar Krishna Urs
Akshatha Rao
CinematographyApurba Kishore Bir
Edited byP. Bhaktavatsalam
Music byBhaskar Chandavarkar
Production
company
L. N. Combines
Release date
  • 1978 (1978)
Running time
137 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

Ondanondu Kaladalli (transl. Once Upon a Time) is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language epic film co-written and directed by Girish Karnad with soundtrack by Bhaskar Chandavarkar, starring Shankar Nag and Akshatha Rao in their debut. Through this movie, Kavita Krishnamurthy started her singing career as playback singer. The film has influences of the early samurai films of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, to whom Karnad has reportedly acknowledged his indebtedness.[1]

The film won the 1978 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada "For delineating the code of warrior's ethics in a medieval setting with a modern vision. The film has excellent outdoor photography, high standard of acting and an eye-catching decor" as cited by the Jury.[2][3] Shankar Nag received the "Best Actor : Silver Peacock Award" at the 7th International Film Festival of India for his work in the film.[4]

The movie was released at The Guild Theatre, 50 Rockefeller Plaza on 17 May 1982. Vincent Canby, the chief film critic of The New York Times, called the movie "that is both exotic as well as surprising in view of all the bodies on the ground at the end, sweet natured!".[1]

The film was subtitled into English for its American premiere on 18 October 1995 in Shriver Hall at the Johns Hopkins University as part of the 1995 Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium "Framing Society : A Century of Cinema".[5]

  1. ^ a b Canby, Vincent (17 May 1982). "From India 'Once Upon a Time'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  2. ^ "26th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Biography and plays of Girish Karnad". Archived from the original on 4 December 2004. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  4. ^ RAY, BIBEKANANDA (5 April 2017). Conscience of The Race. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. ISBN 9788123026619. Archived from the original on 10 June 2024. Retrieved 18 November 2020 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "MSE Symposium Considers the Cinema at 100, 18 Sept 1995". Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.