''Chaitanya'' is a 1991 Indian

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

-language

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

film, written and directed by Prathap K. Pothan. Produced by Sathyam Babu, the film Starred

Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...

Gautami Gautami Tadimalla (born 2 July 1969), known mononymously as Gautami, is an Indian actress and politician who has worked mainly in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films in addition to Hindi, and Kannada films. She was one of the leading South India ...

, and

Girish Karnad Girish Karnad (19 May 1938 – 10 June 2019) was an Indian actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee, who predominantly worked in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His rise as a playwright in the 1960s marked the ...

in pivotal roles and with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. It was simultaneously dubbed into Tamil and Malayalam as ''Madras To Goa''.

Plot

Chaitanya, is the chief mechanic for the upcoming ''Roots Challenge 1991 Automotive rally race'' – which starts via the route from Chennai coast to Goa coast, a route which is noted for

illegal drug trade The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs throug ...

and

arms trafficking Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small arm ...

. Retired Major Harischandra Prasad is the chief guest for the rally, his daughter Padmini also competes for the Roots Challenge Trophy. Chaitanya's journalist friend Sudhakar witnesses the murder of the city D.I.G. in a park. The D.I.G.'s murder happens to have been planned by an underworld gangster. Later, Sudhakar's murdered by a gang near his garage because he witnessed the murder of the D.I.G. Chaitanya finds himself beaten by the gang after he comes to the assistance of Sudhakar. When he regains his senses, he finds himself with a revolver in his hand and in police custody, arrested and charged with the homicide of the friend he tried to assist. With evidence pointing toward his guilt, he has virtually no defense and may well spend the rest of his life in prison or be hanged. He manages to escape from the prison with the help of Chaitanya's garage assistant, Golconda (a drunkard), through the journalist's friend (Joseph) in a water tanker. Disguised as the journalist's friend, the gangster's henchman is hidden in the tanker. The police commissioner, who is a close associate of Harischandra Prasad, attempts to solve the mysterious murder of D.I.G. and the journalist. The criminal's henchman plans to blast the water tanker and kill Chaitanya, who flees from Srungavarapukota prison in the same water tanker. But, after a battle with the henchman inside the water tanker, Chaitanya escapes and jumps from the water tanker into a lake, and the henchman dies in the water tanker explosion. Police send Chaitanya's case to CBI as they come to the conclusion that it was Chaitanya who was killed in the explosion. Chaitanya gets to participate in the ''One Halt Race'' by joining at a milestone on the route, in the guise of the garage assistant's race car. He finds out that the photographs of D.I.G.'s murder caught by his journalist friend are hidden in one of the three cars of the rally. In another twist, Padmini happens to drive the car in which 1 photograph was hidden. How Chaitanya unweaves the mystery behind all this crime and how Padmini & Chaitanya fall in love in the process and identify the high-profile criminal adds to the rest of the plot and suspense in the film. The D.I.G. was killed by three people. According to the pictures, the guy in the brown coat is the police commissioner, who claims to be the gangster. The police commissioner forces Harischandra and Padmini to join the drug trade. Chaitanya manages to reach the commissioner's

safehouse A safe house (also spelled safehouse) is, in a generic sense, a secret place for sanctuary or suitable to hide people from the law, hostile actors or actions, or from retribution, threats or perceived danger. It may also be a metaphor. Histori ...

, where it's revealed that Harischandra's the high-profile criminal. Commissioner didn't know that someone else was the mafia, boss. Harischandra kills the commissioner. When Chaitanya shows up, he realizes that Padmini's father was the gangster who is responsible for the illegal drug trade, arms trafficking, DIG's murder, Sudhakar's murder, and ordered his gang to frame Chaitanya. The film ends with Chaitanya killing Harishchandra, the gangster, when he attempts to shoot him.

Cast

as Chaitanya *

as Padmini *

as Harischandra Prasad *

Kota Srinivasa Rao Kota Srinivasa Rao (born 10 July 1942) is an Indian character actor known for his work primarily in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He has also starred in a few films in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. As a former politician, Rao has ...

as Commissioner KJ Prabhakar *

Raghuvaran Raghuvaran Velayutham (11 December 1958 – 19 March 2008) was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in films made in South India. He has acted in more than 200 Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. According to the ''Hindustan T ...

as Raana *

Babu Antony Babu Antony (born 22 February 1966) is an Indian-American actor and martial artist, who works primarily in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in several Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Sinhalese, Hindi and English films. He started his career doing a ...

as Cobra *

Silk Smitha Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. Smitha was part of ...

as Smitha * Chinna as Journalist Sudhakar * Nizhalgal Ravi as Smuggler *

Chinni Jayanth Chinni Jayanth (born Krishnamurthy Narayanan on 26 July 1960) is an Indian film director, producer, comedian, actor and mimicry artist who has appeared in many main, character and supporting roles in Tamil films. He is also a popular television ...

as Smuggler *

Ravi Teja Bhupatiraju Ravi Shankar Raju (born 26 January 1968), known professionally as Ravi Teja, is an Indian film actor and producer who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his roles in action comedy films. He is one of the highes ...

as Racer * Suthi Velu as Detective *

Raavi Kondala Rao Raavi Kondala Rao (11 February 1932 – 28 July 2020) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, playwright, and journalist who worked in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acted in over 400 films. He won Nandi Award for Best Story Writer for '' ...

as Roots Rally Company MD * P. J. Sarma *

Vijayachander Vijayachander, (born Vijayachander Telidevara), is an Indian actor, director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television. Regarded as one of the finest character actor's of Telugu cinema, Vijayachander has appear ...

as DIG Ram Mohan Rao *Bhimeswara Rao as Jailor *KK Sarma as Police Officer *Telephone Satyanarayana as Doordharshan Reporter

Soundtrack

Music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Lyrics were written by

Veturi Veturi Sundararama Murthy (29 January 1936 – 22 May 2010), known mononymously by his surname Veturi, was an Indian poet, lyricist and journalist who is popular for writing Telugu songs. His career in the Telugu cinema spanned more than four de ...

. The music released on ECHO Music Company.

References

External links

* {{Pratap K. Pothen, state=collapsed 1991 films Indian road movies Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja Indian auto racing films Indian avant-garde and experimental films Fictional portrayals of the Andhra Pradesh Police Fictional portrayals of the Tamil Nadu Police 1990s road movies Indian chase films Films shot in Ooty Films shot in Goa 1991 action thriller films Indian action thriller films Indian nonlinear narrative films Films about the illegal drug trade Indian detective films 1990s avant-garde and experimental films Films directed by Pratap Pothen Films about the Narcotics Control Bureau