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Gandhada Gudi
1986 re-release poster
Directed by	Vijay
Screenplay by	Vijay M. D. Sundar
Story by	M. P. Shankar
Produced by	M. P. Shankar
Starring	Rajkumar Vishnuvardhan Kalpana M. P. Shankar
Cinematography	D. V. Rajaram
Edited by	Bal G. Yadav
Music by	Rajan–Nagendra
Distributed by	Bharani Chithra
Release date	1973 (1973)
Country	India
Language	Kannada

Gandhada Gudi (transl. The abode of Sandalwood trees) is a 1973 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Vijay and produced by M. P. Shankar. Rajkumar in his 150th film portrays an honest forest officer Kumar while Vishnuvardhan plays the antagonist, Anand, though his character is redeemed at the end of the film. Kalpana, M. P. Shankar, Narasimharaju and Balakrishna performed other important roles.

Plot

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Kumar, a honest and passionate Range Forest Officer, on proposal of his higher forest official, voluntarily arrives at the Nagarhole National forest on a mission to protect the natural resources. His mother Saraswathi accompanies him. He begins to get involved in forest and wildlife conversation with his staff. Shivaji is his obedient forest guard and Johnny is egoistic and insubordinate driver.

In the same forest, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka & his son Anand poacher were engaged in forest and wildlife smuggling activities. They are dominant and influential. They used to follow various means to escape from forest officials like using folidol instead of guns to kill animals, guerilla trained and camouflage guards, oiling up poachers body to evade capture, using womens to roam around forest in night as pretending she-devil to stop night patrol by forest department staff etc..

His mother Saraswathi, tribal women Lakshmi and parentless kid Putti who is being taken care by her grandfather are favourites of forest officer Kumar.

Driver Johnny used to disobey the orders of Kumar, and he has secret connection with poacher Anand. He used to help Anand by working within forest department. Anand is the main person behind all above mentioned smuggling activities in forest.

After seeing driver Johnny's disobedient behaviour multiple times, Kumar warns him to work honestly for department to which Johnny angrily submits resignation. Later Johnny openly join hands with Anand in poaching activities.

Kumar as part of his duty, conducts afforestation works, creating small wildlife sanctuary, rescuing animals from poachers, creating elephant sanctuary, stopping illegal movement of forest produce etc..

This honest acts of Kumar causing problems to Anand's illegal activities. Anand conducts several attempts to kill Kumar in different ways but failed in each attempt, which are adding up his frustration and grudge against Kumar.

On verifying forest jurisdiction map and taking permission from higher forest official, Kumar send show cause notice to Raja Venkatappa Nayaka for encroaching huge forest area. This angers Venkatappa Nayaka's ego and threatens his so far dominant years in forest. He angrily goes to Kumar's home, but shockened by seeing Kumar's late father photo. Venkatappa Nayaka disturbed by this for certain reason.

On other side, Anand through his gang plans to kill Kumar by releasing wild animals from cages which are kept near Kumar's house. During this incident, orphan girl Putti unfortunately loses her life. Beloved Putti's death cause deep sorrow to Kumar, her grandfather, and forest staff.

After coming from Putti's funeral, Kumar's mother Saraswathi and Venkatappa Nayaka see each other on the way, and both got horrified by remembering their past, leaving Kumar's mother to fell unconscious. Kumar takes his mother to home, & after getting consciousness she come to realise that Raja Venkatappa Nayaka is her late husband's former subordinate, and person standing beside Raja Venkatappa Nayaka, Anand as her younger son by identifying mole on his chin.

On flashback story, Kumar's late father was forest officer, who has wife and two young sons. Present Raja Venkatappa Nayaka was forest guard Venkatappa then, and working under Kumar's father. Because of Venkatappa's illegal forest activities while in duty, Kumar's father being upright in duty, sent him to prison. After coming from jail, to take revenge on Kumar's father, one night, Venkatappa breaches into his house to kill him, instead he ended up in kidnapping his younger son, and warning Kumar's father that he will raise his son in bad ways as against his obedient and honest qualities. Abducted younger boy is present poacher Anand, while leftout elder boy is present honest forest officer Kumar, and then forest guard and abductor Venkatappa is present influential landlord and Anand's father Raja Venkatappa Nayaka.

Kumar's mother Saraswathi reveals this whole incident to Kumar and further she tells him that Anand is his long-lost younger brother. Kumar turned both surprise and joy. On other hand, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka hides this information from Anand, who still thought Raja Venkatappa Nayaka as his own father. In reality, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka is foster father of Anand.

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka form a plan to kill Kumar, to destroy forest department's valuable products, and wildlife by setting fire to forest from the top of the hill using petrol drums. Anand agreed to his father's plan.

Anand locked Lakshmi's younger brother in room since many days. He used to threaten Lakshmi by forcing her to pretend like she-devil by roaming around forest in night by wearing white saree, so that forest staff in fear stop patrolling forest in night, and this will ease his smuggling activities. Failed to do so, he will kill her brother. On one such night, Lakshmi saves Kumar from smugglers. Angered Anand keeps Lakshmi also in caged room. By bullying Raja, who is Anand's worker and maternal uncle of Lakshmi, she along with her brother escapes from lockup.

On the way Lakshmi meets Kumar, she reveal about evil, smuggling and criminal activities of Anand to him and his mother. Kumar's mother asks Kumar to spare Anand as he is his own brother. But, Kumar being upright and honest to his duty like his late father, refuses his mother's request by saying duty is above all, even above family, & definitely he will punish Anand as per law.

Driver Johnny while attempting to kill Kumar, he himself got saved by Kumar from leopard. Ashamed by Kumar's selfless character, he apologize Kumar for what he has done so far. Further, Johnny informed Kumar about last day of transport of smuggled forest items, and he shows Anand's secret area where same produce are kept. Kumar along with Johnny successfully stopped smuggled products from being transported out of forest. Unfortunately Johnny got brutally wounded during confrontation with poachers gang, finally salutes Kumar just before his death.

After losing his smuggled items, infuriated and frustrated Anand decides to execute his father's evil plan. Without knowing about his family secret, he abducts Kumar's mother and take her to hill area and tie her on the petrol drum.

Lakshmi informs Kumar about abduction. Kumar goes to hill to rescue his mother. Anand asks Kumar to stop intervening in his illegal activities otherwise he will kill his mother and set fire to forest. Kumar refuses to Anand's demand as it's against his duty. Angered Anand starts to shoot petrol drums and pushing them down to spread fuel across forest. Kumar begs Anand not to burn forest, asks him to save forest, save sanctuary, and save wild animals, instead asks him to take his own life. Adamant Anand continue his acts and when he moves to set fire to petrol drums, Kumar without any further options, shoots Anand, leaving him fatally wounded.

Raja Venkatappa Nayaka then arrives at spot and tell Kumar's mother Saraswathi about his revenge story, how he made his younger son smuggler, how he made her two sons to turn as rivals. By this, Anand realised that women he tied is his mother while Kumar is his elder brother. Then Venkatappa Nayaka try to kill Kumar but Anand kills him. Wounded Anand appreciates Kumar's honest duty and valour, and finally dies on his mother's lap.

After this incident, Kumar receives praise, appreciation, bravery award from forest department for his upright nature, honest duty wrt. protecting the forest and wildlife against the poachers.

Cast

• Rajkumar as Kumar - Range Forest Officer, and Anand's elder brother.
• Vishnuvardhan as Anand - Forest poacher, Raja Venkatappa Nayaka's foster son, and Kumar's long-lost younger brother.
• Kalpana as Lakshmi - Tribal women, Kumar's love interest, and pretending she-devil.
• Balakrishna as Raja Venkatappa Nayaka - Dominant forest smuggler, Anand's foster father, and ex forest guard Venkatappa.
• Advani Lakshmi Devi as Saraswathi - Kumar and Anand's mother
• Narasimharaju as Shivaji - Forest guard
• M. P. Shankar as Johnny - Forest department driver
• Sampath as Higher forest officer
• Thoogudeepa Srinivas as Kunju Ahmad - Illegal forest produce trader
• Shakti Prasad as Raja
• B. Jaya as Gangi
• H. R. Shastry as Hanumayya - Forest department worker, and Putti's grandfather.
• Tiger Prabhakar as Moosa
• Prema Kumari as Putti - Parentless granddaughter of Hanumayya.
• Malur Sonnappa
• Anand Shekhar
• Xavier
• Cheluvaraju
• Abdul Azis
• Borayya as Borayya
• S. A. V. Swamy
• Mahadevappa
• Nazeer Ahmed
• Louis
• Sriram
• Nandagopal
• Shyam (credited as Baby Shyam)
• Virupaksha (credited as Master Virupaksh)
• Basavaraj (credited as Master Basavaraj)
• Master Nataraj (credited as Master Nataraj)

Production

The film has brilliant cinematography of the Nagarhole and Bandipur forest in Mysore which is the seat of the royal family of Karnataka. The entire cast has given excellent dimensions to their role.

During the shooting of the film where Vishuarvadan's character "shoots" Rajkumar's character's mother, the prop gun was accidentally switched to a real gun. Prabakaran, a forest ranger who realised someone took the gun, ran to the shooting spot to avert untoward incident. Just as Vishnuvardhan was about to pull the trigger, Prabakaran begged for him to stop. The incident caused trauma for Vishnuvardhan who got death threats from Rajkumar fans. Despite this, both Rajkumar and Vishuvardhan remained on good terms afterwards.

Soundtrack

Music for the film and soundtracks were composed by the duo Rajan–Nagendra. The title song, filmed on Karnataka and Kannada is still popular among the Kannadigas. The song can be heard even today on any festival or function in Karnataka.

Sequel

The sequel to Gandhada Gudi had Shiva Rajkumar in the role of a forest officer who is posted in the same forest where his father has created a history. His character now has to carry his father's mission and protect the forest. Many considered the sequel to be a disappointment when compared to the legacy of the original.

Legacy

It was the first Indian movie made on the concept of protection of forests and wildlife conservation. It is the only movie in which Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan appeared together. The film was seen as a milestone in the career of Rajkumar. The movie became a blockbuster and saw a theatrical run of 25 weeks.

This movie was reported to be the first mainstream Indian film on forest conservation. It was the time when CITES – 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was signed. CITES aimed to reduce the economic incentive to poach endangered species and destroy their habitat by closing off the international market.The movie was praised for portraying the rich bio diversity of the state of Karnataka.

The film was remade in Hindi in 1979 as Kartavya. It was dubbed in Malayalam in 1974 as Chandana Kaadu. This movie has inspired NT Rama Rao's telugu movie Adavi Ramudu. The success of Gandhada Gudi led to a sequel in 1995 titled Gandhada Gudi Part 2 starring Shiva Rajkumar. The film which speaks about the preservation of forests inspired other Kannada films – Jayasimha, Mrugalaya and Maasti Gudi.

See also

• Bandipur National Park
• Nagarhole National Park

References

1. "The best of Dr Rajkumar".
2. ^ "In memoriam". The Hindu. January 2010. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023.
3. "King cobra to lion king – Deccan Herald". m.deccanherald.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
4. "ChurumuriThe day Vishnuvardhan nearly shot Dr Raj Kumar". 14 April 2006.
5. "Fascinating facts of Kannada film industry". Super Good Movies. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
6. "He was destiny's favourite child". Archived from the original on 5 June 2016.
7. Khajane, Muralidhara (15 April 2013). "P. B. Sreenivas was the voice of Rajkumar". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013.
8. "Kannada film picks forWorld Environment Day". 6 June 2020.
9. Khajane, Muralidhara (13 May 2017). "Masti Gudi: Lopsided concern for tiger". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023.
10. "Born winner". Frontline. January 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
11. Khajane, Muralidhara (28 October 2022). "'Gandhada Gudi' documentary review: Puneeth Rajkumar's beautiful ode to Karnataka's biodiversity". The Hindu.
12. ":: Welcome to Chitatara ::". chitratara.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
13. "'Puneeth Rajkumar is a guiding force for Gandhada Gudi'". The New Indian Express. 4 December 2021.
14. "Here are some must-watch iconic films of Dr Rajkumar". 24 April 2020.
15. "Kartavya (1979)". The Hindu. 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023.

External links

• Gandhada Gudi at IMDb

• 1973 films
• 1970s Kannada-language films
• 1970s Indian films
• 1970s action drama films
• Kannada films remade in other languages
• Films scored by Rajan–Nagendra
• Films set in forests
• Indian action drama films
• 1973 drama films
• Films directed by Vijay (director)