Indra (2002 film)

In a village in Rayalaseema, two rival clans, led by Bharathasimha Reddy and Veera Siva Reddy, are embroiled in a cycle of violence. A police inspector arranges a marriage between Bharathasimha Reddy's brother, Vijayasimha Reddy, and Siva Reddy's sister to broker peace. However, Siva Reddy's sister poisons Vijayasimha Reddy on their wedding night, leading to both their deaths. Following this betrayal, Siva Reddy and his men kill Bharathasimha Reddy. Siva Reddy is arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

With the male leaders of the Bharathasimha family dead, Bharathasimha's son, Indrasena "Indra" Reddy, steps up to lead the clan. In a powerful scene, Indra takes a sword and sits on the throne, symbolizing his new role as the clan leader, much to the delight of his paternal grandmother and the rest of the clan.

In 2002, Indra is living in Varanasi under the alias Shankar Narayana, a truthful and honest taxi driver. During a singing competition at his niece's college, her friend Pallavi, the daughter of Uttar Pradesh's governor Chenna Kesava Reddy, falls in love with Shankar and pretends to be an orphan to stay at his house. When Chenna Kesava Reddy discovers his daughter's whereabouts, he goes to Shankar's home but changes his mind upon recognizing him as Indrasena Reddy. Instead, he requests Shankar to marry Pallavi, but Shankar refuses due to his responsibilities towards his niece, Nandini.

Giri, an orphaned youth who has become Shankar's right-hand man, confesses his love for Nandini, and Shankar arranges their marriage. However, the wedding is disrupted by Snehalatha Reddy, who reveals that Giri is actually Veera Manohar Reddy, the son of Veera Shankar Reddy, Siva Reddy's elder son. She also addresses Shankar as Indrasena Reddy, shocking his adoptive family. After a confrontation, Valmiki, Indra's trusted associate, narrates Indra's past.

Indra, revered in his village, was dedicated to the welfare of the people. After Siva Reddy's release from prison, Indra warned him to stay away, but Siva Reddy instigated violence, leading Indra to kill him. Snehalatha, Siva Reddy's daughter, fell in love with Indra, but Veera Shankar Reddy sought revenge. Indra saved Veera Shankar Reddy's younger son from an accident, but Veera Shankar Reddy killed his own son to maintain his pride.

Indra confronted Veera Shankar Reddy, allowing the boy's mother to mourn before burying him and planting a "Tulasi" sapling over his grave, symbolizing the boy's soul. Indra warned Veera Shankar Reddy to protect the plant or face his wrath. Snehalatha fell for Indra and proposed marriage, but the village's drought led Indra to negotiate for the construction of a reservoir, which required land from Siva Reddy's family. Veera Shankar Reddy demanded Indra's entire property in return, to which Indra agreed. Snehalatha asked to marry Indra as her share of the land, and he accepted.

However, on their wedding day, Veera Shankar Reddy killed Indra's sisters and their husbands, orphaning Nandini and her brother Pradeep. Enraged, Indra killed Veera Shankar Reddy's three brothers and wounded him. Misled by her family, Snehalatha believed Indra was responsible for the violence and broke off the engagement. Indra then left the village for Varanasi to raise his niece and nephew.

In the present, Nandini attempts suicide after becoming pregnant with Manohar Reddy's child. Indra returns to the village, receiving a hero's welcome. He confronts Veera Shankar Reddy and demands that Manohar Reddy marry Nandini. Snehalatha learns the truth about her brothers' actions and tries to help, but is attacked. Indra saves her and decides to end the cycle of revenge without killing Veera Shankar Reddy. Manohar Reddy marries Nandini, but Indra remains focused on his duty to the people, rejecting marriage proposals from both Snehalatha and Pallavi. The film ends with Indra receiving widespread support from the villagers, solidifying his commitment to ending the violence in Rayalaseema.

{{Cast listing|

• Chiranjeevi as Indrasena Reddy / Shankar Narayana
• Teja Sajja as young Indrasena Reddy
• Aarthi Agarwal as Snehalatha Reddy
• Sonali Bendre as Pallavi Reddy
• Sivaji as Veera Manohara Natha / Giri
• Tanish as young Veera Manohar Reddy
• Ilavarasi as Indra's elder sister
• Vinaya Prasad as Indra's eldest sister
• Mukesh Rishi as Veera Shankar Natha
• Prakash Raj as Chenna Kesava Reddy
• Puneet Issar as Shoukath Ali Khan
• Raza Murad as Veera Siva Natha
• Tanikella Bharani as Valmiki Reddy, Indrasena Reddy's assistant
• Ahuti Prasad as Krishna Reddy, Indrasena Reddy's brother-in-law
• Sunil as Balu Natha, Veera Shankar Natha's brother-in-law
• Brahmanandam as Pandit
• Sameer as Vijaya Simha Reddy, Indrasena Reddy's uncle
• Dharmavarapu Subramanyam as Pandit's friend
• M. S. Narayana as Gangaram, car driver
• Pavala Syamala as Bamma
• Narra Venkateswara Rao as Superintendent of Police Damodar Reddy
• Allu Ramalingaiah as Subba Rayudu
• AVS as Bacchu Peda Pichayya
• G. V. Sudhakar Naidu as Veera Prathap Reddy
• Raja Ravindra as Veera Bhadra Reddy
• Lahari as Nandini Manohara Natha
• Rajitha
• S. P. Balasubrahmanyam as himself in a cameo appearance
• Rani in cameo appearance
• Siva Krishna as Bharatha Simha Reddy, Indrasena Reddy's father
• Kalpana as Veera Siva Natha's sister
• Telangana Shakuntala as Mrs Reddy; Indrasena's grandmother
• Unknown as Pradeep Reddy;
• Aanand Vardhan as Indra's nephew (young)
• Unknown as Mamat;
• Yadagiri as Veera Shankar Reddy's henchmen

}}

Following the successes of Gang Leader (1991) and Gharana Mogudu (1992), Chiranjeevi experienced a period without delivering an industry hit, although he continued to deliver major blockbusters. During this time, fans and industry analysts eagerly awaited his return with a strong mass entertainer. Chiranjeevi, meanwhile, considered taking on a family-oriented story to reconnect with his audience.{{Cite web |date=24 July 2024 |title=Indra: 'ఇంద్ర'ను తెరకెక్కించేందుకు వెనకడుగేశారు కానీ: ఈ బ్లాక్‌ బస్టర్‌ మూవీ విశేషాలు తెలుసా? |url=https://www.eenadu.net/telugu-news/movies/interesting-facts-about-indra-starring-chiranjeevi/0208/124136659 |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Eenadu |language=te}}

Producer Aswani Dutt and director B. Gopal were approached by writer Chinni Krishna with a new story set in Rayalaseema, addressing the region's water crisis as a central theme intertwined with factional conflicts.{{cite web |date=12 January 2003 |title=Indra 175 days function |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/indra175days.html |access-date=17 December 2024 |website=Idlebrain}} While the script showed promise, there were concerns about audience reception to another faction-themed film, given B. Gopal's association with such narratives. B. Gopal was also hesitant to direct the project due to his earlier unsuccessful collaboration with Chiranjeevi on Mechanic Alludu (1993). However, writer Paruchuri Gopala Krishna eventually persuaded him to take on the project.

Chinni Krishna was tasked with further developing the story, which initially had the Krishna-Godavari river region as its backdrop. During discussions with Paruchuri Gopala Krishna, the setting was changed to Kasi (Varanasi) and the Ganga river region to expand the narrative's scope.

The film marked Chiranjeevi's third collaboration with Vyjayanthi Movies, following Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari (1990) and Choodalani Vundi (1998). After two months of filming, Aswani Dutt suggested the title Indra, which Chiranjeevi approved.{{cite web |date=2 July 2002 |title=Interview with Aswini Dutt by Jeevi |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/celeb/interview/inter_aswinidutt.html |access-date=17 December 2024 |website=Idlebrain}}

Simran was initially considered for the lead female role, but Aarti Agarwal was eventually cast. Sonali Bendre was finalized as the second lead actress. For the role played by Sivaji, actors such as Venkat and Raja were considered before Sivaji was finalised.

The film was completed in 120 working days with a budget of ₹7 crore, excluding Chiranjeevi's remuneration. Sets resembling Varanasi were recreated at Annapurna Studios, while a Rayalaseema village set was constructed at Ramoji Film City. Two duets were filmed in Switzerland.{{cite web |title=Movie Preview - Indra |url=https://www.idlebrain.com/movie/coming/indra.html |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Idlebrain}} Portions of the film were shot in Varanasi and Lucknow in January 2002.{{Cite web |last=C. Vanaja |date=2002 |title=News Capsule |url=http://www.telugucinema.com/movies/news/tidbits.html |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=Telugucinema.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020206051642/http://www.telugucinema.com/movies/news/tidbits.html |archive-date=6 February 2002 }}

{{Infobox album

| name = Indra

| type = Soundtrack

| artist = Mani Sharma

| cover =

| alt =

| caption = Album cover

| released = 2002

| recorded = 2002

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Feature film soundtrack

| length = 31:52

| language = Telugu

| label = Aditya Music

| producer = Mani Sharma

| prev_title = Youth

| prev_year = 2002

| next_title = Chennakesava Reddy

| next_year = 2002

}}

The soundtrack of Indra was composed by Mani Sharma, with the song "Ayyo Ayyo Ayyayyo" composed by R. P. Patnaik due to Mani Sharma's unavailability. The album featured six songs, chosen from 11 recorded tracks.

The audio was released on the evening of 14 June 2002 at a set in the first floor of Annapurna Studios. The audio album of Indra was released 45 days before the film's theatrical release, instead of the usual 20–30 days, to ensure the music had more time to resonate with the audience.

Gemini TV covered this event and it was telecast as a 30-minute capsule on Gemini TV. Chiranjeevi selected a coupon from the lucky dip box and called the lucky fan to the stage. Chiranjeevi opened the audio box and handed over the first cassette to that fan. The audio hit the market on 17 June 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/indraaudio.html|title=Telugu Cinema Etc - Idlebrain.com|access-date=16 September 2016}}

{{track listing

| headline = Tracklist (Telugu)

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 31:52

| title1 = Bham Bham Bole

| lyrics1 = Sirivennela Sitaramasastri

| extra1 = Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan

| length1 = 6:08

| title2 = Ammadu Appachi

| lyrics2 = Veturi

| extra2 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam & Kalpana

| length2 = 4:44

| title3 = Radhe Govinda

| lyrics3 = Bhuvanachandra

| extra3 = K. S. Chithra, Udit Narayan

| length3 = 4:50

| title4 = Ghallu Ghallu

| lyrics4 = Sirivennela Sitaramasastri

| extra4 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Mallikarjun

| length4 = 5:52

| title5 = Dayi Dayi Damma

| lyrics5 = Sirivennela Sitaramasastri

| extra5 = KK & Mahalakshmi Iyer

| length5 = 5:20

| title6 = Ayyo Ayyo Ayyayyo

| note6 = Composed by R. P. Patnaik

| lyrics6 = Kulasekhar

| extra6 = Karthik & Usha

| length6 = 4:58

| title9 =

| title10 =

| length9 =

| all_writing =

| length8 =

| title8 =

| length7 =

| title7 =

| length10 =

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Tracklist (Tamil)

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 31:52

| title1 = Bom Bom Osai

| lyrics1 = Muthulingam

| extra1 = Tippu

| length1 = 6:08

| title2 = Alva Thundu Penne

| lyrics2 = Snehan

| extra2 = Tippu, Anuradha Sriram

| length2 = 4:44

| title3 = Radhe Gopala

| lyrics3 = Ponniyin Selvan

| extra3 = Unnikrishnan, Sujatha

| length3 = 4:50

| title4 = Jhallu Jhallu

| lyrics4 = Muthulingam

| extra4 = Ramu

| length4 = 5:52

| title5 = Aadi Aadi Vamma

| lyrics5 = Ponniyin Selvan

| extra5 = Yugendran, Sri Vardhini

| length5 = 5:20

| title6 = Ayayaya

| note6 = Composed by R. P. Patnaik

| lyrics6 = Snehan

| extra6 = Karthik, Shalini

| length6 = 4:58

| all_writing =

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Tracklist (Hindi)

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 31:52

| all_lyrics = Dev Kohli

| title1 = Bam Bam Bole

| lyrics1 =

| extra1 = Tippu

| length1 = 6:08

| title2 = Main Tera Deewana

| lyrics2 =

| extra2 =

| length2 = 4:44

| title3 = Radhe Govinda Tu Mera Chanda

| lyrics3 =

| extra3 = Udit Narayan, Sadhana Sargam

| length3 = 4:50

| title4 = Jhoom Jhoom Ke Payal

| lyrics4 =

| extra4 = Suresh Wadkar

| length4 = 5:52

| title5 = Yeh Haseena Chehra

| lyrics5 =

| extra5 = Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam

| length5 = 5:20

| title6 = Kaisi Hai Barfili Thandi Yeh Hawa

| note6 = Composed by R. P. Patnaik

| lyrics6 =

| extra6 =

| length6 = 4:58

| all_writing =

}}

Indra was released on 24 July 2002, on 268 screens, including 223 in Andhra Pradesh, 30 in Karnataka, three in Orissa, and 15 in the United States.{{cite web |date=2002 |title=Records - Indra release centers |url=http://idlebrain.com/trade/records/indrareleasecenters.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403163537/http://www.idlebrain.com/trade/records/indrareleasecenters.html |archive-date=3 April 2016 |access-date=16 September 2016 |website=Idlebrain |df=dmy-all}}

The release generated significant excitement, with long queues forming from midnight on 23rd July and large crowds gathering at theatres across the state. Reports of black ticket sales emerged in several locations, including complaints about police involvement in black marketing, particularly in Guntur.{{cite web |date=September 2002 |title=Chiranjeevi Indra records |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/trade/records/indra.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727071118/http://www.idlebrain.com/trade/records/indra.html |archive-date=27 July 2016 |access-date=16 September 2016 |website=Idlebrain.com |df=dmy-all}}

On 23rd July, the film's storywriter, Chinni Krishna, celebrated the release in his hometown, Tenali, by arranging a special premiere show at 9 pm. Fans from neighboring Karnataka cities, such as Kolar and Chikkaballapur, travelled to Madanapalle to watch the film on its release day.

Several incidents occurred during the film's release, including die-hard Chiranjeevi fans storming a theatre in Ballari for an early screening. Additionally, a fan attempted suicide over ticket issues but was stopped by other fans.

In September 2002, Indra faced widespread piracy as 70,000 pirated CDs originating from Bangalore flooded markets across Andhra Pradesh after the film crossed its 50-day mark, causing a significant drop in collections in areas like Ballari.{{Cite web |date=20 September 2002 |title=70,000 pirated Indra CDs released |url=https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news228.html |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=Idlebrain.com}}

Upon release, Indra became a major commercial success, setting several box office records for its opening day, week, and lifetime collections.

Indra grossed over {{Indian Rupee|51.8 crore}} against a budget of {{INR|10 crore}},{{Cite web |date=2020-07-24 |title=చిరంజీవి బ్లాక్ బస్టర్ 'ఇంద్ర' సినిమాకు 18 ఏళ్లు.. సాధించిన రికార్డులు .. |trans-title=Chiranjeevi's blockbuster Indra completes 18 years. Box office records |url=https://telugu.news18.com/photogallery/movies/megastar-chiranjeevi-b-goapl-aswani-dutt-block-bluster-indra-movie-completed-18-years-ta-561306-page-8.html |access-date=2020-08-01 |website=News18 Telugu |language=te}} making it the highest-grossing Telugu film at the time of its release. The film set a record by earning a share of ₹20 crore in just four weeks, with ₹17 crore from Andhra Pradesh and ₹3 crore from other states, including Karnataka, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu.

It was the first Telugu film to gross over ₹50 crore, a record later surpassed by Pokiri (2006). It became the highest grossing Telugu film ever as well as the all-time highest-grossing South-Indian film, surpassing Padayappa (1999). It was the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2002, following Devdas.

Indra had a 50-day run in 152 centres, including nine in Karnataka and two in Orissa,{{cite web |title=Records - Indra 50 days centers |url=http://idlebrain.com/trade/records/indra50dayscenters.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403113242/http://www.idlebrain.com/trade/records/indra50dayscenters.html |archive-date=3 April 2016 |access-date=16 September 2016 |website=Idlebrain |df=dmy-all}} and a 100-day run in 122 centres, with four in Karnataka and one in Orissa.{{cite web |title=Records - Indra 100 days centers |url=http://idlebrain.com/trade/records/indra100dayscenters.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403121342/http://www.idlebrain.com/trade/records/indra100dayscenters.html |archive-date=3 April 2016 |access-date=16 September 2016 |website=Idlebrain |df=dmy-all}}{{Cite news |date=2003-01-11 |title=Indra is 175, not out! |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/hyderabad-times/indra-is-175-not-out/articleshow/33976268.cms |access-date=2025-01-05 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}} The film also had a 175-day run in 32 centres, including a 247-day run at Satyam Theatre in Adoni.{{cite web |title=Chiranjeevi's 175-Day Centres List |url=http://www.cinegoer.com/chiru175.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120814181040/http://www.cinegoer.com/chiru175.htm |archive-date=14 August 2012 |access-date=16 September 2016 |website=CineGoer.com |df=dmy-all}}

The 175-day celebration event was held in Vijayawada, with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu as the chief guest.

Jeevi of Idlebrain.com gave a rating of {{Fraction|4|1|2}} out of 5 stating, "First half is a perfect blend of mass and class elements. It's extraordinary. The interval scene gives the right finishing touch to the first half."{{cite web |url=http://idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-indra.html|title=Indra Review|access-date=24 January 2013|publisher=Idlebrain.com}} A critic from Sify wrote, "On the whole the film is refreshing and a good entertainer with Chiru at his best".{{Cite web|url=http://sify.com/movies/telugu/review.php?id=11779350&ctid=5&cid=2430|title=Review: Indra|work=Sify|last=Moviebuzz|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050107092644/http://sify.com/movies/telugu/review.php?id=11779350&ctid=5&cid=2430|archive-date=7 January 2005}}

Indra is one of the biggest hits in Chiranjeevi's film career.

The film had an excellent run on Hindi television channels through the dubbed version Indra: The Tiger. Saudamini Jain of Hindustan Times wrote in 2015, "For a decade now, the Telugu blockbuster Indra dubbed in Hindi as Indra The Tiger seems to have become a permanent fixture on TV". TV and film writer Mushtaq Sheikh said of the film, "When I was heading Sahara One (in 2010-11) we had these perpetual, evergreen films: whenever you needed ratings, you could close your eyes and screen them. Indra was one of them." CEO of Applause Entertainment Sameer Nair noted, “We used to play Indra: The Tiger and our ratings were sorted for two weeks." Diptakirti Chaudhuri, in his book Bioscope: A Frivolous History of Bollywood in Ten Chapters, listed Indra as one of the most-watched dubbed films on Indian television.{{Cite book |last=Chaudhuri |first=Diptakirti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_e9LDwAAQBAJ&dq=Indra+Chiranjeevi&pg=PA1952 |title=Bioscope: A Frivolous History of Bollywood in Ten Chapters |date=2018-02-25 |publisher=Hachette India |isbn=978-93-5195-229-9 |pages=1952 |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0319557|Indra}}

{{B. Gopal}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Indra (Film)}}

Category:2002 films

Category:Films shot in Uttar Pradesh

Category:Films shot in Andhra Pradesh

Category:Indian drama films

Category:Telugu films remade in other languages

Category:Films about feuds

Category:2000s Telugu-language films

Category:2000s masala films

Category:Films directed by B. Gopal

Category:Films scored by Mani Sharma

Category:2002 drama films

Category:Vyjayanthi Movies films