Oka Oori Katha
| Oka Oori Katha | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mrinal Sen |
| Written by | Yandamoori Veerendranath (dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Mohit Chattopadhyay |
| Story by | Munshi Premchand |
| Produced by | A. Parandhama Reddy |
| Starring | M. V. Vasudeva Rao G. V. Narayana Rao Pradeep Kumar Mamata Shankar A. R. Krishna |
| Cinematography | K. K. Mahajan |
| Edited by | Gadadhar Naskar |
| Music by | Vijay Raghav Rao |
| Distributed by | Chandrodaya Art Films |
Release date | 1977 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Oka Oori Katha (English title: The Marginal Ones; Telugu: ఒక ఊరి కథ) is a 1977 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by Mrinal Sen.[1] The Pan-Indian film is based on the 1936 Munshi Premchand story Kafan (The Burial Shroud).[2]
The Marginal Ones was one of the Indian entries at the 4th Hong Kong International Film Festival.[3] It was featured in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Carthage Film Festival,[4] and the Indian Panorama section of the 7th IFFI.[5]
It won the "Special Jury Prize (Karlovy Vary IFF)";[6][7] and the Best Feature Film in Telugu at the 25th National Film Awards, "for successfully transforming Premchand's story "Kafan" into a scathing commentary on rural destitution and social injustice; for projecting through powerful performances of its leading characters, the degradation and brutalisation of human beings, for its sincere commitment to the cause of the downtrodden; for its fervent impassioned appeal to the conscience of humanity" as cited by the Jury.[6]
Plot[edit]
Venkaiah (Vasudeva Rao) and his son Kistaiah (Narayana Rao) live in a village. Venkaiah lives in a queer world of his own. They have learnt to conquer hunger and are mentally strong. They consider that the poor farmers are fools to work for the rich and suffer. Kistaiah wants to marry Nilamma (Mamata Shankar). The father does not like the marriage. Kistaiah refuses and marries Nilamma.
Nilamma tries to control the family. Venkaiah does not change. Kistaiah stands between them. There is bitterness in the family. In course of time, Nilamma conceives. One day, they find Nilamma in acute pain. The father refuses to call a midwife and Nilamma dies. They decide to conduct funeral rites for Nilamma. They go begging around the village and gather some money and decide to spend it on drinks.
Cast[edit]
- A. R. Krishna
- Pradeep Kumar
- G. V. Narayana Rao as Kistaiah
- M. V. Vasudeva Rao as Venkaiah
- Mamata Shankar as Nilamma
- Chintapally Bhadra Reddy as Zamindar
Awards[edit]
- National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu - Mrinal Sen and A. Parandhama Reddy
- Third Best Feature Film - Bronze - A. Parandhama Reddy
- International Honors
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival - Special Jury Award
- Carthage Film Festival - Special Award
References[edit]
- ^ "Mrinal Sen's aversion to innocent storytelling". www.telegraphindia.com.
- ^ Telugu Art Cinema - Bhagvan Das Garga. Idle Brain. Retrieved on 2011-09-17.
- ^ "Filmtsav' 80 Pg 16" (PDF). DFF.
- ^ "Mrinal Sen :: Oka Oori Katha". mrinalsen.org.
- ^ "Indian Panorama 1977-78 Festival" (PDF).
- ^ a b "25th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ^ "Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (1978)". IMDb.
- ^ "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF) (in Telugu). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
External links[edit]
- 1977 films
- 1970s Telugu-language films
- 1970s Indian films
- Films about labour
- Films directed by Mrinal Sen
- Adaptations of works by Premchand
- Best Telugu Feature Film National Film Award winners
- Films about social issues in India
- Films about women in India
- Indian avant-garde and experimental films
- Indian nonlinear narrative films
- Films about social realism
- Indian feminist films
- Films about poverty in India
- Films about dysfunctional families
- Midlife crisis films
- Indian family films
- Indian drama films
- Films based on works by Premchand