Sirivennela

{{About|the 1986 film|the Telugu lyricist|Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Sirivennela
సిరివెన్నల

| image = Sirivennela.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| director = K. Viswanath

| producer = Ch. Ramakrishna Reddy
N. Bhaskara Reddy
Ujjuri Chinaveerraju

| writer = K. Viswanath
Sainath Thotapalli (dialogues)

| starring = Suhasini
Sarvadaman Banerjee
Moon Moon Sen

| music = K. V. Mahadevan

| cinematography =M. V. Raghu

| editing =G. G. Krishna Rao

| released = {{film date|df=y|1986|6|5}}{{cite web | url = https://indiancine.ma/ABJI/info | website = indiancine.ma | title = Sirivennela | access-date = 13 December 2021 | archive-date = 10 January 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220110073453/https://indiancine.ma/ABJI/info | url-status = live}}

| runtime = 181 minutes

| studio = Geetha Krishna Movie Combines

| country = India

| language = Telugu

| budget =

}}

Sirivennela{{efn|Spelt as Siri Vennela on the CBFC certificate.}} (Telugu :సిరివెన్నల) ({{translation|Moonlight}}) is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language romance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Suhasini, Sarvadaman Banerjee and Moon Moon Sen. The film has music composed by K. V. Mahadevan.

The film won five Nandi Awards.{{Cite web |url=http://ipr.ap.nic.in/New_Links/Film.pdf|title=నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)|trans-title=A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)|publisher=Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh|access-date=21 August 2020}}(in Telugu) The film was screened at the Asia Pacific Film Festival, the International Film Festival of India, the Moscow Film Festival and the AISFM Film Festival.[http://www.aisfm.edu.in/blog/2014/the-films-of-k-viswanath/ The films of K. Viswanath — AISFM Blog]{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/if-music-is-the-food-of-love-lyrics-are-the-soul/article2833387.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | first=Suresh | last=Krishnamoorthy | title=If music is the food of love, lyrics are the soul | date=26 January 2012}} The film was shot in Jaipur and Kerala. The film has Hariprasad Chaurasia's flute rendering and a cameo of drummer Sivamani.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249964/locations Sirivennela (1986) – Filming Locations – IMDb] The film was dubbed in Tamil as Raaga Devathai.{{Cite news |date=24 July 1987 |title=Raga Devathai |pages=5 |work=The Indian Express |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19870724&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}} Lyricist Seetharama Sastry derived his stage name Sirivennela from this film.

Plot

Hari Prasad (Sarvadaman Banerjee), a blind flutist lives along with his younger sister Samyuktha "Samyu", in a village near Jaipur, which is also a tourist attraction. Though he lacks knowledge of classical music, he plays the flute melodiously. He makes a living by playing it for the tourists. One day, guide Jyothirmai (Moon Moon Sen) comes along with a bunch of tourists and listens to his flute. She understands his talent and helps him understand nature and to become a famous flautist. Years pass and Hari Prasad becomes Pandit Hari Prasad. Unknown to Jyothirmai, Hari Prasad admires her very much and dedicates all his albums to her. Meanwhile, a mute painter Subhashini (Suhasini) meets him in his village and falls for him.

Subhashini expresses her feelings through her paintings and gradually her brother understands her feelings for Hari Prasad. He approaches Hari Prasad's uncle with a marriage proposal. But at the same time Hari Prasad reveals his admiration for Jyothirmai. This shocks Jyothirmai as she previously worked as an escort to rich tourists. She tries to hint to Hari Prasad about her not so decent past, but is overwhelmed by his pure love and his disregard for her past. Though she admires him, she feels that she would taint him with her past. She tells Hari Prasad that she cannot marry him as she already is engaged to a doctor. Hari Prasad takes it well as he always wanted Jyothirmai to be happy, and arranges her wedding.

On the wedding day, Jyothirmai commits suicide and requests in her last note that her eyes should be donated to Hari Prasad. She also requests that her funeral procession should appear like a marriage procession, and that her death should be hidden from Hari Prasad. Everyone acts like they are sending her to her in-laws. Hari Prasad keeps calm through all of this, and at last goes to the graveyard to say his final goodbye to Jyothirmai. He tells shocked Samyu that it is impossible to hide her death from him. The film ends with Hari Prasad and Subhashini mourning silently in the graveyard.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Suhasini as Subhashini
Sarvadaman Banerjee as Pandit Hari Prasad
Moon Moon Sen as Jyotirmayi
Nithya as Samyuktha, Hari's sister
J. V. Ramana Murthi as Recording Company Owner
S. K. Misro as Ramalingaiah, village elder and grandfather figure
Shubha
Sakshi Ranga Rao as Music Teacher
Subhalekha Sudhakar as Tour Guide Sooribabu
G. Varalakshmi
Eashwara Rao
Samyuktha
Jit Mohan Mitra
Baby Meena as Renu
Madhurima Narla
Sivamani is a cameo drummer

}}

Soundtrack

Sirivennela abounds in classical music composed by K. V. Mahadevan with flute renditions by the renowned flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia.listing-index.ebay.com/movies/Sirivennela.html All songs were written by Seetharama Sastry. After the success of the soundtrack, he became popularly known as "Sirivennela" Seetharama Sastry. The music was released through Lahari music label.

{{Track listing

| headline = Track list

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 42:28

| title1 = Vidhaatha Thalapuna

| extra1 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela

| length1 = 6:53

| title2 = Paatalo Paadalenidi

| extra2 = N. S. Prakash Rao, P. Susheela

| length2 = 5:18

| title3 = Chandamaama Raave

| extra3 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, B. Vasantha

| length3 = 4:39

| title4 = Merise Thaaraladheroopam

| extra4 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam

| length4 = 3:37

| title5 = Polimera Daatipothunnaa

| extra5 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, B. Vasantha

| length5 = 1:20

| title6 = Aadhi Bhikshuvu

| extra6 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam

| length6 = 4:11

| title7 = Ee Gaali Ee Nela

| extra7 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela

| length7 = 6:49

| title8 = Prakruthi Kaanthaku

| extra8 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam

| length8 = 3:39

| title9 = Chinuku Chinuku

| extra9 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam

| length9 = 1:55

| title10 = Flute Music

| extra10 = Hariprasad Chaurasia

| length10 = 4:07

}}

Awards

| rowspan="5"|Nandi Awards 1986{{Cite web |url=http://ipr.ap.nic.in/New_Links/Film.pdf|title=నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)|trans-title=A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)|publisher=Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh|access-date=21 August 2020}}(in Telugu)

| Sirivennela Sitaramasastri
(for "Vidatha Talapuna")

| Best Lyricist

| {{won}}

| S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
(for "Vidatha Talapuna")

| Best Male Playback Singer

| {{won}}

| Moon Moon Sen

| Best Supporting Actress

| {{won}}

| Pandurangan

|Best Audiographer

| {{won}}