Kshana Kshanam
Kshana Kshanam (transl. Moments) is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language road-thriller film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma.[2] The film stars Venkatesh, Sridevi and Paresh Rawal in the lead roles. The sound track and background score composed by M. M. Keeravani received rave reviews.[3] The film is one of the highest rated Telugu films on the Internet Movie Database. The narrative by Ram Gopal Varma, and the cinematography by Teja and S. Gopala Reddy, received positive reviews.[4][5][6]
| Kshana Kshanam | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ram Gopal Varma |
| Produced by | K. L. Narayana Y. Lakshmana Chowdary S. Gopala Reddy |
| Written by | Satyanand (dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Ram Gopal Varma |
| Story by | Ram Gopal Varma |
| Starring | Venkatesh Sridevi Paresh Rawal |
| Music by | M. M. Keeravani |
| Cinematography | Teja S. Gopala Reddy |
| Edited by | Shankar |
Production company | Sri Durga Arts |
Release date |
|
Running time | 2 hrs 38 min |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Kshana Kshanam won four state Nandi Awards, including Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and a Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu to Sridevi for essaying the victim of circumstance. Varma adapted Kshana Kshanam into Daud for pan-Indian audiences, and produced caper films such as Thiruda Thiruda, Anaganaga Oka Roju and Road.[7]
Plot
Narayana (Horse Babu) and his accomplice, working for Nayar (Paresh Rawal), break into a bank in Hyderabad and steal INR 1,00,00,000. Found out by the police, the group engages in a shootout and later a chase, during which one of the gang members and the policemen are killed. Narayana, going rogue, kills his accomplice and betrays Narsing (Narsing Yadav), hoping to keep the loot for himself. With the police watching all routes out of Hyderabad, Nayar and his men track Narayana to his brother's photo studio. Before he his caught, Narayana hides the clue to where he hid the money in one of the photo envelopes.
Caught and tortured, Narayana reveals the clue, but before they can retrieve it, the envelope is taken by Satya (Sridevi), a middle-class working girl. Before dying, Narayana reveals the truth and the clue to his brother. Heading home, Satya is accosted by one of Nayar's men, who demands the envelope. Trying to escape, Satya accidentally stabs him, after which her nosy neighbor calls the police on her. While on the phone, the thug gets up again, only to fall down dead, a knife lodged in his back, which later is shown as being thrown by Narayan's brother.
Meanwhile, Chandu (Venkatesh) is a small time thief posing as a police officer to con and steal from people. While relaxing at a dhaba, Satya enters the place and calls her friend to inform her about what happened, unaware that the police were listening in. Chandu inadvertently saves her from being assaulted by a gang of hoodlums, and while she is thanking him, the police arrive. Thinking that they are after him, Chandu takes Satya hostage and escapes into the jungle with her. Meanwhile, Nayar and his men also join the pursuit.
Chandu and Satya face a few challenges in avoiding the police, Narayana's brother and Nayar in the forest, gradually growing closer to each other. They run into Nayar, where he demands to know where the envelope is. Escaping the police led by Inspector Yadav (Rami Reddy) and Narayana's brother, Chandu deduces that the clue to the money is hidden in that envelope. They eventually stumble across Nayar's truck, which they use to escape the jungle and into the city. Knowing that Satya's apartment is a crime scene and will be guarded, Chandu and Satya decide to scale the building from outside through her neighbour's apartment. They eventually find the envelope, which contains a storage receipt for the cloak room at the railway station. Evading Nayar's henchmen and the police, Chandu and Satya face off against one of Nayar's henchmen at Chandu's apartment and tie him up. While Chandu goes off to meet his friend and decide what to do with the money they found, Satya is left to guard the henchman, who breaks free and subdues her, then calls Nayar.
Meanwhile, Chandu decides to keep half the money and return the rest but is ambushed by Nayar's henchmen and brought to his apartment, where he is forced to hand over the receipt. However, the police are tipped off to their location by a police informant, and a shootout ensues. Chandu manages to subdue Nayar and get the receipt, and they head for the station with Nayar and the police in pursuit. The duo reaches the station and retrieves the money bag. They then climb the train to escape Nayar. At the next station, Nayar and his men board the train, leading to a fight between Chandu and the goons. Left with Nayar and one of his men, Nayar holds Chandu and Satya at gunpoint, demanding the money. In response, Chandu hangs the bag over the side, threatening to drop if he shoots. Left with no options, Nayar decides to have the train stopped so that he can shoot them and retrieve the money, only for his henchman and the train driver to struggle and fall out of the train. Chandu unhooks the engine from the rest of the train, jumping back to grab the bag and jump off. With the engine out of control, it plows through a number of houses before finally ramming a wall and slowing down.
Nayar is arrested by the police, and Chandu returns the money to Yadav, after being forced to do so by Satya. The film ends with Satya asking Chandru to drop her home, offering to introduce him to her mother, and an amused Chandu agreeing.
Cast
| Actor / Actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Venkatesh | Chandu |
| Sridevi | Satya |
| Paresh Rawal | Nayar (Mastan) |
| Rami Reddy | Inspector Yadav |
| Brahmanandam | Store Manager |
| Narsing Yadav | Narsing |
| Hema | Sarala |
| Horse Babu | Narayana |
Production
Bijon Das Gupta was the production designer for the film. Filming was done in Hyderabad, Nallamala forests, and Mudumalai National Park. Sridevi's acclaimed performance of an innocent girl stuck in a tight spot, won her awards. She also sang the soundtrack "Kingu La Kanipisthunnadu" which was shot in The Leela Mumbai.
Soundtrack
| Kshana Kshanam | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Length | 28:37 | |||
| Label | Surya Audio | |||
| Producer | M. M. Keeravani | |||
| M. M. Keeravani chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music composed by M. M. Keeravani.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Jaamu Raatiri" | Sirivennela Sitaramasastri | SP Balu, Chitra | 4:59 |
| 2. | "Jumbaare" | Vennelakanti | Chitra, Mano | 6:55 |
| 3. | "Ammayi Muddu" | Sirivennela Sitaramasastri | SP Balu, Chitra | 5:37 |
| 4. | "Andanantha Etta" | Sirivennela Sitaramasastri | SP Balu, Chitra | 5:18 |
| 5. | "Ko ante koti" | Sirivennela Sitaramasastri | SP Balu, Sridevi | 5:25 |
| Total length: | 28:37 | |||
Awards
- Best Director - Ram Gopal Varma
- Best Actress - Sridevi
- Best Screenplay Writer - Ram Gopal Varma
- Best Cinematographer - S. Gopala Reddy
- Best Actress – Telugu - Sridevi
- Best Music Director - Telugu - M. M. Keeravani
References
- "Kshana Kshanam (1991) – Movie Review, Story, Trailers, Videos, Photos, Wallpapers, Songs, Trivia, Movie Tickets".
- "Kshana Kshanam (Ram Gopal Varma) 1991 – Indiancine.ma". Indiancine.ma.
- "No Limit for Adventure, Situational Comedy and Action- Kshana Kshanam Part 3". Marapuraani Chitralu.
- Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema- Kshana Kshanam, Pg(503)-Professor of critical Studies-Paul Willemen-2014
- "telugu cinema – Good Films – Kshanakshanam – Venkatesh, Sridevi – Ram Gopal Varma – S Gopal Reddy – MM Keeravani". idlebrain.com.
- https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19921016&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
- "Edouard Waintrop on the New Indian Cinema : UP Front – India Today". India Today. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.