:Jalsa

{{short description|2008 Telugu film by Trivikram Srinivas}}

{{About|the 2008 film}}

{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Jalsa

| image = Jalsa poster.jpg

| caption = Poster

| director = Trivikram Srinivas

| producer = Allu Aravind

| writer = Trivikram Srinivas

| starring = Pawan Kalyan
Ileana
Parvati Melton
Kamalinee Mukerji

| music = Devi Sri Prasad

| cinematography = K. V. Guhan
Rasool Ellore

| editing = A. Sreekar Prasad

| distributor = Geetha Arts

| released = {{Film date|df=y|2008|04|01}}

| runtime = 167 minutes

| country = India

| language = Telugu

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Jalsa ({{Translation|Fun}}) is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas and produced by Allu Aravind under the Geetha Arts banner. The film stars Pawan Kalyan, Ileana, Parvati Melton and Kamalinee Mukherjee, with Mukesh Rishi, Prakash Raj, Brahmanandam, Ali, and Sunil in supporting roles. The soundtrack of the film was composed by Devi Sri Prasad.

Released on 1 April 2008, Jalsa set multiple box office records on its opening day, registering the highest first-day collection in Telugu cinema history at the time and the highest for any South Indian film in a single state.{{cite web |date=4 April 2008 |title=Jalsa breaks all the records |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/jalsa-breaks-all-the-records-Telugu-news-37723.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106225054/https://www.indiaglitz.com/jalsa-breaks-all-the-records-Telugu-news-37723.html |archive-date=6 January 2019 |access-date=12 March 2016 |website=IndiaGlitz}} It emerged as the highest-grossing Telugu film of the year and was a commercial success. The film received praise for its lead performances, music, humour, and witty dialogues, though the screenplay drew criticism.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-02 |title=12 Years of Jalsa: 5 reasons why the Pawan Kalyan starrer was a hit |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/12-years-of-jalsa-5-reasons-why-the-pawan-kalyan-starrer-was-a-hit/photostory/74948425.cms |access-date=2020-08-12 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Vanaparthy Ranganath |date=31 December 2008 |title=Top 14 movies of Telugu cinema in 2008 |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/2008top14films.html |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Idlebrain.com}}

The film's marketing included an action video game based on its characters, making it the first movie-based video game in South Indian and Telugu cinema.{{Cite web |title=Jalsa game launch |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/gamelaunch-jalsa.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Idlebrain.com |quote=Incidentally this is the first movie based game in South India.}}{{Cite web |date=21 March 2008 |title=Jalsa: Full of novelty |url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/jalsa-full-of-novelty-telugu-news-37396 |access-date=23 February 2025 |website=IndiaGlitz |quote=The 'Jalsa' team, this time around, is in the news for yet another novel idea. They have turned a new leaf in the history of Telugu films for the first time by introducing a mobile as well as an online game that is based on the hero of this film, ahead of its release.}} Due to its enduring popularity, Jalsa was re-released in 2022, becoming the highest-grossing Telugu re-release until it was surpassed by Kushi (2001), another Pawan Kalyan film.{{Cite web |date=9 January 2023 |title=Kushi Re-Release Box Office: Pawan Kalyan Proves His Crazy Stardom As The Film Brings In Outstanding Numbers! |url=https://www.koimoi.com/box-office/kushi-re-release-box-office-pawan-kalyan-proves-his-crazy-stardom-as-the-film-brings-in-outstanding-numbers/ |website=Koimoi}}

Plot

Sanjay Sahu aka Sanju is a post-graduate and works as an aerobics instructor. He is in love with Indu, who wishes to marry him. She makes him meet her father, who is a police officer and also happens to be his old acquaintance. Her father declines to approve of their love, and she is forced to marry according to her father's choice. Meanwhile, Indu's sister Bhagyamathi aka Bhagi and her friend Jyothsna aka Jo are chased by hoodlums before being rescued by Sanju. Furthermore, Jo and Bhagi are ragged in the college before being again rescued by Sanju. Both begin to like Sanju and even decide to propose their love to him without their knowledge of the other. However, it is Jo who proposes first to Sanju, who rejects her. Careful after seeing her friend's love rejected, Bhagi, with the help of Seenu, begins wooing Sanju.

Bhagi keeps wooing Sanju in different ways under Seenu's supervision. Seenu keeps advising Bhagi with new ideas to impress Sanju. With Seenu's idea, Bhagi vacates the previous tenants in Sanju's house and gets into the house to woo Sanju. She keeps trying in many ways to impress him, which evokes comedy. Bhagi keeps meeting Sanju and tries to know more about him. After many comical situations coming their way, love blossoms between them, but unfortunately at a party where Jo is also one of the attendees, she spills all the beans about Bhagi. Sanju is infuriated and ends their relationship. Later that party, however, when having a conversation with Bhagi, a drunken Sanju begins to showcase that he is not a correct fit to her, yet the unending love of Bhagi towards Sanju makes him fall for her. Both again get into a relationship, marking it with a kiss.

Meanwhile, Damodar Reddy, a powerful land grabber who takes care of all the settlements while still in jail, is out on parole. He is in search of Sanju for spoiling his land deals in the past and thrashing his son, who was one of the goons who chased Bhagi. He makes an attempt on Sanju's life but in vain. However, Sanju's friend Abhi is taken hostage during the attack. Sanju rescues Abhi but is enraged when his friends stop him from assaulting the kidnapper by questioning his authority to take the law into his hands and bringing them troubles. Sanju then reveals his flashback, in which he hailed from a poor rural family. His brother dies of heart disease as a child. His father Janardhan Sahu kills himself as crops fail, and his mother too passes away. While going to the burial ground, he repeatedly slips and swoons at a stone pillar. He plucks it out, which enrages Damodar Reddy's henchmen. When they attack him, Sanju beats them up, disappears into a forest, and joins the Naxalites. During a combing operation, he joins hands with Indu and Bhagi's father (a police officer) and his team to eliminate the team in an encounter. Sanju is then rehabilitated as a college student in Hyderabad.

Bhagi confesses to her father about her intention to marry Sanju, but her father rejects it by revealing to her about Sanju being an ex-lover of her sister Indu, and an ex-Naxal. Shocked, Bhagi agrees to get married as per her father's choice. Her father arranges the engagement of Bhagi with Raghuram. Sanju is disgusted that Bhagi has given her assent to the engagement and decides to break it. Meanwhile, Sanju learns that the man who attempted on his life is none other than Damodar Reddy and that Raghuram is Damodar Reddy's elder son. Sanju confronts Damodar Reddy in jail and challenges him. Damodar Reddy leaves jail and forcibly arranges the marriage of Raghuram with Bhagi. Sanju, meanwhile kidnaps Damodar Reddy's younger son. He then takes Damodar Reddy head-on and defeats him, ensuring that he fears death, and walks out without killing Damodar Reddy and his son, proclaiming that the art of winning a war is to defeat the enemies, not to kill them. Sanju ends up marrying Bhagi.

After a few months, Damodar Reddy, now paralyzed, dies of a heart attack on the same road on which Sanju defeated him.

Cast

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{{colend}}

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack, composed by Devi Sri Prasad, was released on 29 February 2008, with Aditya Music acquiring the audio rights for ₹90 lakh,{{cite news |date=29 January 2008 |title='Jalsa' audio rights bagged for 90 Lakhs |url=http://www.telugucinema.com/c/publish/news/jalsa_jan2908.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220130014/http://www.telugucinema.com/c/publish/news/jalsa_jan2908.php |archive-date=20 February 2008 |access-date=24 March 2008 |work=Telugucinema.com |df=dmy}} the highest for a Telugu film at the time.{{cite news |title=Power Star Pawan Kalyan's JALSA Title Song |url=http://www.humsurfer.com/power-star-pawan-kalyans-jalsa-title-song-run-length-2-min-30-sec |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312235839/http://www.humsurfer.com/power-star-pawan-kalyans-jalsa-title-song-run-length-2-min-30-sec |archive-date=12 March 2008 |access-date=24 March 2008}} The album received widespread critical acclaim{{cite news |title=Jalsa Music Review – Jalsa All The Way |url=http://www.cinegoer.com/areviews/jalsa+music+review.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305191621/http://www.cinegoer.com/areviews/jalsa%2Bmusic%2Breview.htm |archive-date=5 March 2008 |access-date=24 March 2008}}{{cite news |title=Jalsa Music Review |url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/musicreview/10017.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226102959/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/telugu/musicreview/10017.html |archive-date=26 February 2008 |access-date=24 March 2008}}{{cite news |title=Jalsa is sheer fun |url=http://idlebrain.com/audio/areviews/jalsa.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330045140/http://www.idlebrain.com/audio/areviews/jalsa.html |archive-date=30 March 2008 |access-date=26 March 2008 |df=dmy-all}} and was well received by audiences.{{cite news |title='Jalsa' audio response from across the state |url=http://www.nonstopcinema.com/nsc/headlines/news_content.php?fileName=439 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310005056/http://www.nonstopcinema.com/nsc/headlines/news_content.php?fileName=439 |archive-date=10 March 2008 |access-date=24 March 2008 |df=dmy}} It topped music charts for several months after its release. Devi Sri Prasad won the 2008 Santosham Best Music Director Award for his composition.{{cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.andhracafe.com/index.php?m%3Dshow%26id%3D32521 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111002410/http://www.andhracafe.com/index.php?m=show&id=32521 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |access-date=2008-03-29 |df=dmy}}Retrieved 29 March 2008{{cite news |date=6 March 2008 |title=Trilingual 'Jalsa' tops Telugu music charts |url=http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=6154&scat=4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409165852/http://www.greatandhra.com/ganews/viewnews.php?id=6154&scat=4 |archive-date=9 April 2008 |access-date=29 March 2008}}

In addition to strong physical and digital sales, the film’s music generated significant revenue from mobile ringtone downloads, contributing approximately ₹1.45 crore, marking a notable expansion of the Telugu music market.

{{Infobox album

| name = Jalsa

| type = soundtrack

| artist = Devi Sri Prasad

| cover =

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|df=y|2008|04|02}}

| recorded = 2008

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Film soundtrack

| length = 36:24

| label = Aditya Music

| producer = Devi Sri Prasad

| prev_title =Tulasi

| prev_year =2007

| next_title = Santosh Subramaniam

| next_year =2008

}}

{{track listing|

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| headline = Track-List

| total_length = 36:24

| title1 = Jalsa

| extra1 = Baba Sehgal, Rita

| lyrics1 = Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry

| length1 = 4:19

| title2 = My Heart is Beating

| extra2 = K. K.

| lyrics2 = Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry

| length2 = 4:59

| title3 = You and I

| extra3 = Devi Sri Prasad

| lyrics3 = Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry

| length3 = 5:00

| title4 = Chalore Chalore Chal

| extra4 = Ranjith

| lyrics4 = Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry

| length4 = 2:46

| title5 = Jennifer Lopez

| extra5 = Benny Dayal, Priya

| lyrics5 = Ramajogayya Sastry

| length5 = 4:19

| title6 = Gaallo Thelinattunde

| extra6 = Tippu, Gopika Poornima

| lyrics6 = Bhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar

| length6 = 4:52

| title7 = Chalore Chalore Chal (Hindi)

| extra7 = Devi Sri Prasad

| lyrics7 = Raqueeb Alam

| length7 = 3:05

| note7 = Bonus track

| title8 = My Heart is Beating (Remix)

| extra8 = K. K.

| lyrics8 = Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry

| length8 = 3:02

| note8 = Remix

| title9 = Jalsa (The Devi Mix)

| extra9 = Baba Sehgal, Devi Sri Prasad

| lyrics9 = Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry

| length9 = 4:02

| note9 = Remix of title song

}}

Marketing

As part of its marketing campaign, Jalsa became the first Telugu and South Indian film to have an official video game.{{Cite web |date=6 September 2008 |title=After PK, RCT for gaming |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news287.html |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Idlebrain.com |quote=Popular production house Geeta Arts of Allu Arvind, the first to enter the gaming industry from Tollywood with Pawan Kalyan's Jalsa, is going to launch its second venture with hero Ramcharan Tej.}} The game was launched at a function held at Hotel Novotel in Hyderabad on 22 March 2008. The online version was developed by RZ2 Games (Chris Whaley), while FX Labs (Sashi Reddy – Aplabs) developed the mobile version. The online game was available for free, whereas the mobile game was priced at ₹50 per download. It was made available across 42 Big C outlets in Andhra Pradesh.

Release

= Theatrical =

Jalsa was released on 1 April 2008 in theaters worldwide. The film was originally scheduled to be released on 27 March 2008, but because of delays in the digital intermediate (DI) process. Jalsa was later released with 400 prints in 800 theaters worldwide across 1000 screens.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1191121/business Jalsa]{{cite web |title='Jalsa' - collections graph is on decline |url=http://www.andhravilas.net/movienews/56044/2/14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329083357/http://www.andhravilas.net/movienews/56044/2/14 |archive-date=29 March 2014 |access-date=29 March 2014 |df=dmy}}

= Remastered re-release =

Jalsa was re-released in theaters worldwide on 3 September 2022, coinciding with Kalyan's birthday, with remastered picture and sound.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=Pawan Kalyan Fans Plan to Hold Special Screening of Jalsa on Power Star's Birthday |url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/pawan-kalyan-fans-plan-to-hold-special-screening-of-jalsa-on-power-stars-birthday-5689447.html |access-date=2022-08-21 |website=News18 |language=en}} Jalsa grossed over ₹3.25 crore in its 2022 re-release and became the highest grossing Telugu re-release of all time until surpassed by another Pawan Kalyan film Kushi.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-04 |title=Jalsa special show collections record |url=https://www.tollywood.net/jalsa-special-show-collections-record/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920171258/https://www.tollywood.net/jalsa-special-show-collections-record/ |archive-date=20 September 2022 |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=Tollywood.net}} The collections of the special shows were reported to be donated to charity.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-31 |title=Jalsa creates an all-time record with its re-release |url=https://www.telugubulletin.com/jalsa-creates-an-all-time-record-with-its-re-release-164750 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170339/https://www.telugubulletin.com/jalsa-creates-an-all-time-record-with-its-re-release-164750 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |access-date=18 September 2022 |website=TeluguBulletin}}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable"
Ceremony

! Category

! Nominee

! Result

! {{Tooltip|Ref(s)|Reference}}

rowspan="7"|56th Filmfare Awards South

|Best Film – Telugu

|Allu Aravind

|{{nom}}

|rowspan="7"|{{Cite web|agency=TNN|date=Jul 22, 2009|title=56th Filmfare Awards 2008 - South {{!}} Hyderabad News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/56th-filmfare-awards-2008-south/articleshow/4804867.cms|access-date=2021-11-01|website=The Times of India|language=en}}

Best Director – Telugu

|Trivikram Srinivas

|{{nom}}

Best Actor – Telugu

|Pawan Kalyan

|{{nom}}

Best Actress – Telugu

|Ileana D'Cruz

|{{nom}}

Best Supporting Actress – Telugu

|Parvati Melton

|{{nom}}

Best Music Director – Telugu

|Devi Sri Prasad

|{{nom}}

Best Lyricist – Telugu

|Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry - (Chalore Chalore)

|{{nom}}

rowspan="7"|Santosham Film Awards{{Cite book|title=Awards|author=Durr, William Kirtley|date=1983|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|oclc=777371017}}

|Best Film – Telugu

|Jalsa

|{{won}}

|rowspan="7"|{{Cite web|title=Santosham film awards 2009 - Telugu cinema function|url=http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/santoshamawards2009.html|access-date=2021-11-01|website=www.idlebrain.com}}

Best Director – Telugu

|Trivikram Srinivas

|{{Won}}

Best Actor – Telugu

|Pawan Kalyan

|{{nom}}

Best Actress – Telugu

|Ileana D'Cruz

|{{won}}

Best Supporting Actor – Telugu

|Prakash Raj

|{{nom}}

Best Supporting actress – Telugu

|Parvati Melton

|{{nom}}

Best Misic Director – Telugu

|Devi Sri Prasad

|{{won}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}