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Aditya 369
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Singeetam Srinivasa Rao
Written by	Singeetam Srinivasa Rao
Dialogue by	Jandhyala
Produced by	S. Anitha Krishna S. P. Balasubrahmanyam (presenter)
Starring	Nandamuri Balakrishna Mohini
Cinematography	V. S. R. Swamy Kabir Lal
Edited by	Gautam Raju
Music by	Ilaiyaraaja
Production company	Sridevi Movies
Release date	18 July 1991 (1991-07-18)
Running time	141 minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu
Budget	₹1.52 crore

Aditya 369 is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language science fiction film written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Mohini, with Amrish Puri, Tinnu Anand, and Suthivelu in supporting roles. The music for the film was composed by Ilayaraja, and the dialogues were written by Jandhyala. Produced by S. Anitha Krishna under the Sridevi Movies banner, it was presented by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. Aditya 369 received critical acclaim and won two state Nandi Awards.

Aditya 369 is considered a pioneering film in Indian science fiction, being the first Indian film focused on time travel. The film blends elements of history and science fiction, with a storyline centered around a time machine, which transports passengers to different time periods, including the 16th century and a post-apocalyptic future in the 26th century. It explores themes such as technology, democracy, and warfare. The film was inspired by H. G. Wells' novella The Time Machine (1895), which director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao had read in college. The historical segments are set during the reign of Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya (r. 1509–1529), and the futuristic elements were researched by the director at the American Library in Madras.

The film was produced on a budget of ₹1.52 crore, with filming lasting around 110 days. Cinematographers P. C. Sreeram, V. S. R. Swamy, and Kabir Lal were responsible for capturing the film’s various time periods. The film was later dubbed into Hindi as Mission 369 and Tamil as Apoorva Sakthi 369.

Plot

The film begins in 1991 with Professor Ramdas, a scientist working on a time machine named Aditya 369. Meanwhile, Raja Varma, a notorious art thief, targets the 16th-century diamond from the Vijayanagara Empire housed at the Salar Jung Museum. During a school excursion, a mischievous boy named Kishore witnesses the theft, carried out by Raja Varma's accomplices, Vasu and Dasu. Krishna Kumar, a brave man, saves Kishore and takes him to the hospital. He is also in love with Professor Ramdas’s daughter, Hema, who dismisses her father’s experiments as useless.

As Krishna Kumar visits Ramdas's house, he comes across the time machine, which soon breaks down. He befriends Kishore, who insists that the theft occurred, but no one believes him. Raja Varma’s men attempt to kill Kishore at the hospital but fail. Krishna Kumar then takes Kishore to the museum, where they discover the diamond has been replaced, but Kishore believes it is a fake. Kishore learns about the time machine from Hema and realizes they can use it to travel back to the day of the robbery.

One night, Kishore sneaks into Ramdas’s house with other hospital children and activates the time machine. In an attempt to rescue them, Krishna Kumar and Hema accidentally get caught in the machine, along with a police constable chasing a petty thief. They are transported back to 1526 CE, during the reign of Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya. Krishna Kumar saves Simhanandini, a royal court dancer, from an attack, and she invites them to the royal court. Krishna Kumar impresses the emperor by reciting a poem not yet written by the court poet, Tenali Ramakrishna. Though initially skeptical, Sri Krishnadevaraya welcomes them and listens as they explain that they are from the future.

Krishna Kumar sees the stolen diamond in the Emperor's prayer room, learning it has divine power which reflects on the eve of Karthika Pournami and is prophesied to be stolen twice, once during Sri Krishnadevaraya's reign and again after 500 years. Fascinated, they stay back to witness the event on the upcoming Karthika Pournami. When Sri Krishnadevaraya is worried about the arrival of an undefeated poet named Narasa Kavi to challenge his court poets, Krishna Kumar predicts the victory of Tenali Ramakrishna over him, impressing the Emperor.

Simhanandini, who becomes infatuated with Krishna Kumar, attempts to seduce him, but he rejects her. Humiliated, she accuses him of deception. To settle the matter, Krishna Kumar proposes a dance competition between Hema and Simhanandini, which Hema wins. They then request to witness the diamond’s effect on Karthika Pournami, and Sri Krishnadevaraya grants their wish. During the event, the diamond radiates seven colours in the moonlight.

Seeking revenge for her humiliation, Simhanandini conspires with Senadhipathi (commander) to frame Krishna Kumar for the diamond’s theft. While Krishna Kumar catches Senadhipathi attempting to steal the diamond, Senadhipathi successfully frames him for the crime in front of the emperor. Tenali Ramakrishna uncovers the truth, and after being abducted by Senadhipathi, he escapes with the help of Manjari, the constable’s love interest. Despite being sentenced to death, Krishna Kumar is saved by Sri Krishnadevaraya, who believes in his innocence. Tenali Ramakrishna, with Manjari’s help, reveals the truth to the emperor, clearing Krishna Kumar’s name.

Krishna Kumar, Hema, and the constable escape through the time machine, but instead of arriving in 1991, the machine malfunctions and takes them to 2504 CE. They find a post-apocalyptic world devastated by radiation from the Third World War. They learn that the time machine is malfunctioning, but they decide to explore the future, where people live underground and use the diamond for power. From a past news report, they discover that Krishna Kumar died in 1991 while attempting to retrieve the diamond from Raja Varma. Krishna Kumar makes the constable promise not to reveal his death, especially to Hema.

Realizing their time is running out, they return to 1991. Back in the present, they find that Raja Varma has kidnapped Professor Ramdas and Kishore to seize the time machine. Krishna Kumar rescues them and confronts Raja Varma in a fight that leads to a showdown at a hilltop, where the time machine explodes. Though presumed dead, Krishna Kumar survives by jumping off the cliff before the explosion. He realizes that they did not receive all the necessary information from the future.

The film ends with Professor Ramdas deciding that the time machine has no practical use for society or the country. He chooses to focus on other projects, while Kishore expresses his ambition to become a scientist like Ramdas.

Cast

• Balakrishna Nandamuri as Krishna Kumar and Sri Krishnadevaraya (dual role)
• Mohini as Hema (dubbed by S. P. Sailaja)
• Suthivelu as police constable
• Tinnu Anand as Prof. Ramdas (dubbed by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam)
• Master Tarun as Kishore
• Silk Smitha as Simha Nandani
• Amrish Puri as Raja Varma
• Chandra Mohan as Tenali Ramakrishna
• J. V. Somayajulu as Timmarusu
• Brahmanandam as a scientist in 2504 CE
• Subhalekha Sudhakar as a scientist in 2504 CE
• Raavi Kondala Rao as a scientist in 2504 CE
• Gollapudi Maruti Rao as museum curator
• Chalapathi Rao as Senadhipathi
• Tanikella Bharani as Raja Varma's henchman
• Babu Mohan as Raja Varma's henchman
• Annapoorna as Dr. Lalita
• Sri Lakshmi as Madhavi
• Baby Raasi as Kishore's friend
• Kinnera as Tirumala Devi
• Potti Prasad as Bhatudu

Production

Development

Aditya 369 was inspired by the H. G. Wells' novella The Time Machine (1895), which Singeetam Srinivasa Rao read as a student. Though the film has frequently been compared to Back to the Future (1985), according to Srinivasa Rao the similarities between the two stop "with the trouble that the protagonist faces in a different time zone".

Srinivasa Rao briefly discussed his story about time travel with S. P. Balasubrahmanyam who immediately liked it. Balasubrahmanyam recommended Nandamuri Balakrishna's name as he felt that Balakrishna would apt be for Sri Krishnadevaraya's role. Balasubrahmanyam's relative Sivalenka Krishna Prasad who had bulk dates of Balakrishna agreed to produce the film. Several titles including Kaalayantram and Yuga Purushudu were considered, however, Aditya 369 was finalised symbolizing Aditya (the Sun) and the time machine's serial number 369 which was chosen as an increasing series symbolising time travel.

Cast and crew

The makers initially approached Vijayashanti as the lead actress but she could not sign the film due to scheduling conflicts. Later, they cast cinematographer P. C. Sreeram's relative Mohini in her place. Three cinematographers worked for the film who shot different time periods. Sreeram shot the scenes related to present-day but he opted out due to ill-health. V. S. R. Swamy and Kabir Lal performed rest of the cinematography. Jandhyala had written the dialogues for this film. While Amrish Puri played the prime antagonist, Tinnu Anand, Suthivelu, Chandra Mohan, and Silk Smita played important roles. The then child artiste, Tarun played a plot moving role.

Filming

Made on a budget of ₹1.52 crore, principal photography of the film took about 110 days. Sets related to Sri Krishnadevaraya's era were erected at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad. Filming also took place at VGP Golden Beach and Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Madras. Forest scenes were shot at Talakona in Andhra Pradesh.

Music

The music for the film was composed by Ilayaraja and released under the LEO Music Company label. The soundtrack is regarded as one of the best in Balakrishna's career, with songs like "Jaanavule" and "Raasaleela Vela" becoming instant hits among music lovers.

For the song "Jaanavule", Srinivasa Rao wanted a tune similar to the old historical films. Jikki was chosen to sing this song, Srinivasa Rao recalled that S. Janaki who was in studio stayed up till the end of song's recording to help Jikki with her lines.

Themes

Aditya 369 is regarded as the first Indian film based on time travel, combining it with historical fiction. The film explores the Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya, using time travel to shift between the 16th century and a dystopian future. Kali Wallace of Reactor noted that the narrative presents a world where the past and future coexist without significant changes to the timeline. Unlike typical time travel stories that explore the consequences of altering history, the film adopts a light-hearted and adventurous approach, where characters interact with historical figures without concern for disrupting the past.

The film touches on themes of democracy, technology, and warfare, presenting these topics in a stylized and humorous manner. Krishna Kumar’s casual explanations of modern concepts to people of the past serve as playful critiques of historical structures. The glimpse of a post-apocalyptic future introduces concerns about nuclear war, though these issues are addressed with less intensity than in Western science fiction.

At its core, Aditya 369 follows a classic hero’s journey, with Krishna Kumar overcoming various challenges to thwart the villain, Raja Varma. The film maintains an optimistic tone throughout, even in the face of time-travel mishaps. Ultimately, the characters return to the present day, having survived their adventures and altered their fates for the better, offering a resolution where heroism and the triumph of good are celebrated.

Marketing

Producer Sivalenka Krishnaprasad, aiming to enhance Aditya 369's visibility, requested Chiranjeevi's participation in the film's promotional campaign. Chiranjeevi agreed to appear in an advertisement, which was broadcast on Doordarshan. This promotional effort helped attract a wider audience, particularly among families and younger viewers, contributing to the film's success.

Reception

The film released on 18 July 1991. It received positive reviews and was a decent commercial success. It was dubbed and released in Tamil as Apoorva Sakthi-369 during August 1992.

In a retrospective review, Balakrishna Ganeshan of The News Minute wrote, " is considered to be a masterpiece because it perfectly blended the genre of sci-fi and drama with the mainstream template of songs and fight sequences to make it an entertaining watch. It also unlocked the imagination of scores of people to look beyond our realm by popularising Albert Einstein's theories of time and relativity."

Legacy

Aditya 369 is regarded a significant film in the science fiction genre within Telugu and Indian cinema, pioneering time travel-themed storytelling in the country.

Director Nag Ashwin has praised Aditya 369, alongside Bhairava Dweepam, as one of his favourite films. Similarly, director Venkatesh Maha has expressed admiration for the film, describing it, along with Bhairava Dweepam, as a "courageous" effort for its time. Actor and producer Nandamuri Kalyan Ram has cited Aditya 369 as one of his favourites, crediting it as an influence on the production of Bimbisara (2022).

Future

In January 2017, Srinivasa Rao announced his intention to work on Aditya 369's sequel. It is reported that the sequel would feature Balakrishna along with his son Mokshagna. The sequel titled Aditya 999 Max was written by Balakrishna in just one night.

Awards

Nandi Awards

• Best Art Director - Peketi Ranga
• Best Costume Designer - A. Samba Siva Rao

See also

• Science fiction films in India

References

1. "పాతికేళ్ల 'ఆదిత్య 369'". Andhra Jyothi (in Telugu). 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
2. ^ "The story behind the song ' Nerajaanavule' from the movie Aditya 369". The Hindu. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
3. ^ "Aditya 369: తెర వెనుక జరిగింది ఇది! - 30 years for classic Aditya 369". Eenadu (in Telugu). Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
4. ^ Ethamukkala, Hemachandra (25 March 2022). "From Nandamuri Balakrishna's 'Aditya 369' To 'Ismart Shankar' – Here's A Look At The Most Popular Science-Fiction South Indian Films!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022. It was Singeetham Srinivas Rao's 'Aditya 369' that first tasted a huge success in Tollywood and it remains one of the all-time classics till today!
5. ^ Goyal, Samarth (30 December 2021). "Best Indian Movies Dealing With Dystopia and Post Apocalypse". Outlook. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022. The 1991 Telugu-language film is vastly considered the first Indian film ever based on the concept of time travel.
6. ^ Nyayapati, Neeshita. "Balakrishna's famous sci-fi 'Aditya 369' turns 27 today". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2023. 'Aditya 369' was considered to be the first time travel film made not just in the Telugu film industry, but also in India.
8. ^ "30 Years of Aditya 369 Movie". Sridevi Movies. 17 July 2021. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021 – via YouTube.
9. Kuldova, Tereza; Varghese, Mathew A. (9 March 2017). Urban Utopias: Excess and Expulsion in Neoliberal South Asia. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-47623-0. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
10. ^ "25 Years of Aditya 369". Telugucinema.com. 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
11. Ganeshan, Balakrishna (19 September 2020). "'Aditya 369': Revisiting the Telugu film which explored time travel in 1991". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
12. "Singeetham Srinivasa Rao interview about Welcome Obama". Idlebrain. 20 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
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16. ^ Wallace, Kali (14 August 2024). "Aditya 369: Diamond Thieves, Dance-Offs, and Derring-do". Reactor. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
17. "బాలకృష్ణకు చిరంజీవి సాయం.. దేని కోసమే తెలుసా." News18 (in Telugu). 23 October 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
18. "Celebrating 30 years of timeless classic 'Aditya 369'". Telangana Today. 17 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
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27. "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2020.(in Telugu)

External links

• Aditya 369 at IMDb

• 1991 films
• 1990s avant-garde and experimental films
• 1990s dystopian films
• 1990s heist films
• 1990s science fiction adventure films
• 1990s Telugu-language films
• Apocalyptic films
• 1990s films about time travel
• Films directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao
• Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja
• Indian avant-garde and experimental films
• Indian films with live action and animation
• Films set in 1991
• Films set in the 1520s
• Films set in the 21st century
• Films set in the 26th century
• Films set in the future
• Films set in the Vijayanagara Empire
• History of India on film
• Indian heist films
• Indian dystopian films
• Indian post-apocalyptic films
• Indian science fiction adventure films
• Indian science fiction films
• Indian time travel films
• Films based on works by H. G. Wells
• 1991 science fiction films