Shiva (1989 Telugu Film)
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''Siva'' (also spelt ''Shiva'') is a 1989 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
crime action film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
written and directed by
Ram Gopal Varma Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Bollywood, Hindi, Kannada cinema, Kannada language ...
in his directorial debut. Produced by Akkineni Venkat and Yarlagadda Surendra under their banners of
Annapurna Studios Annapurna Studios is an Indian film production company, founded in 1976 by the actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR). Located in the heart of Hyderabad, India the studio mainly provides services for films including sound stages for set construc ...
and SS Creations, ''Siva'' stars
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 ...
,
Amala Amala may refer to: People * Amala Akkineni, South Indian actress * Amala Chebolu, playback singer in the Telugu film industry, also known as Tollywood * Amala Paul (born 1991), South Indian actress * Amala Shankar (1919–2020), Indian dancer * ...
, and
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 ...
. The film's basic plot, adapted from ''
The Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee' ...
'' (1972), revolves around the conflict between college student-turned-gangster Siva and Bhavani, a reputed crime boss mentored by the politician Machiraju. ''Siva'' explores the concepts of student exploitation by anti-social elements and the impact of
crowd psychology Crowd psychology, also known as mob psychology, is a branch of social psychology. Social psychologists have developed several theories for explaining the ways in which the psychology of a crowd differs from and interacts with that of the individ ...
. Varma's script was based on his experiences as a student at Siddhartha Engineering College in
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
.
Tanikella Bharani Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright and director who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including some in Tamil and Hindi; while he was ...
wrote the dialogue.
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...
composed ''Siva'' soundtrack and score, and
S. Gopala Reddy S. Gopal Reddy is an Indian cinematographer, turned screenwriter, director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema and Bollywood. In 1990, he co-produced the blockbuster Kshana Kshanam, under his production house ''Durga Arts''. He h ...
was its cinematographer.
Thota Tharani Thota Tharani is an Indian film art director and production designer who has predominantly worked in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema and Bollywood. As of 2013, he has won two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South and four Tamil ...
and Sattibabu were the film's art director and editor, respectively. It's
principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began on 16 February 1989, and was completed in 55 working days. Except for three days of shooting in Madras (now
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
), ''Siva'' was filmed in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. Produced on a budget of 75
lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For ex ...
, ''Siva'' was released on 5 October 1989 to critical acclaim, primarily for its technology and sound design. Although Venkat and Surendra expected the film to have average earnings, it was commercially successful and went on to become the highest-grossing film of Telugu film industry; Siva completed a 100-day run in 22 centres and a 175-day run in five centres. It was featured in the ''Indian Panorama'' mainstream section of the 13th IFFI, held on 19 January 1990. In addition to the
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu The Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The award was first given in 1964 for films released around 1963. Here is a list of the award winners a ...
, ''Siva'' won three
Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are the awards that recognise the excellence in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu television, and Lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the award is named after ...
:
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
(Varma), Best First Film of a Director, and Best Dialogue Writer (Bharani). A documentary titled ''Exploring Shiva after 25 Years'' was released on the film's silver anniversary; it is the first documentary about a Telugu film. ''Siva'', which attained
cult status A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
, is considered Nagarjuna's breakthrough film. It is credited with the introduction of
steadicam Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for Movie camera, motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It was designed to isolate the camera from the camera operator's movement ...
and new sound recording techniques in Telugu cinema, encouraging filmmakers to explore a variety of themes and make experimental films. For the April 2013 centennial of Indian cinema,
News18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
included ''Siva'' on its list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time. Its
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...
-dubbed version, ''Udhayam'', was also successful. Varma remade the film twice in Hindi with the same title. The
first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
, featuring Nagarjuna and Amala reprising their roles, performed well at the box office, but the
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
did not.


Plot

Siva is a student, who arrives at
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
from a nearby town to pursue his education. He lives with his brother Sarath's family and enrolls in the ''VAS College of Arts and Sciences''. Although Sarath and his daughter Keerthi get along well with Siva, his wife considers him a financial burden. Siva befriends a group of students and falls in love with Asha, the sister of the honest
Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
Venkat. The college's (unopposed)
students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...
president, J. Durga Rao (known as J. D), is the lowest rung on a gang ladder reaching from the gangster Ganesh to a
crime boss A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization. Description A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...
named Bhavani. Bhavani uses the network to support his mentor Machiraju, a
politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
. Although J. D. is arrested many times, Bhavani continues to bail him out. When J.D teases Asha on campus, Siva attacks him with a
bicycle chain A bicycle chain is a roller chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle, thus propelling it. Most bicycle chains are made from plain carbon or alloy steel, but some are nickel-plated to prevent rust, or simply ...
, which develops a rivalry between him and Ganesh. The incident encourages Siva's friends to ask him to stand for the students' union presidency, but he wants them to nominate Naresh (one of the group members) instead. Ganesh's attempts to pacify Siva fail and Bhavani learns about him. He considers Siva as a potential replacement for J. D, whose weakness annoys him. Naresh is fatally assaulted by J. D. and Bhavani's henchmen and is taken to hospital. Siva retaliates, infuriating Bhavani. When Siva's friends attend a wedding, they are attacked by Ganesh and others. One of Siva's friends, Malli, is murdered, and Siva swears vengeance. Sensing a risk to Sarath's family after an attempt on Keerthi's life, Siva leaves their house and moves into his friend Chinna's hostel. He agrees to contest the students' union presidential election. Bhavani cheats
labour union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
leader Krishna Reddy, who changes his allegiance to Siva. Around this time, Asha and Siva marry. Bhavani begins attacking and murdering Siva's close aides, and Siva ensures that Sarath relocates to
Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
as a part of his job. Siva attacks Bhavani's henchmen and helps Venkat arrest Ganesh. Machiraju sees Siva as a potential replacement for Bhavani and stops supporting the latter. Bhavani learns about Siva's relationship with Sarath and kidnaps Keerthi. Ganesh appears in court, and an arrest warrant is issued for Bhavani. Insulted and humiliated, Bhavani kills Keerthi and Machiraju. Siva hears about Keerthi's death and sets to avenge her. While Bhavani comes out of Machiraju's house after killing him, Siva spots him, and a chase ensues. Siva and Bhavani duel at a
shopping complex A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known collec ...
terrace. After Bhavani gets heavily injured by Siva, he decides to commit suicide. Siva tries to stop him, but is unsuccessful. Venkat and Asha reach the mall and witness Bhavani's corpse among the crowd. Siva walks down the stairs and meets them up in dismay.


Cast

*
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 ...
as Siva *
Amala Amala may refer to: People * Amala Akkineni, South Indian actress * Amala Chebolu, playback singer in the Telugu film industry, also known as Tollywood * Amala Paul (born 1991), South Indian actress * Amala Shankar (1919–2020), Indian dancer * ...
as Asha *
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 Bhavani *
Murali Mohan Maganti Murali Mohan (born 24 June 1940) is an Indian actor, producer, politician, and business executive from Telugu cinema. In 1973, Murali Mohan debuted in ''Jagame Maya'', produced by Atluri Poornachandra Rao. He gained recognition with the ...
as Sarath *
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 s ...
as Machiraju *
Gollapudi Maruti Rao Gollapudi Maruti Rao (14 April 1939 – 12 December 2019) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, dramatist, playwright, columnist and dialogue writer known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu Literature. Rao acted in over 250 ...
as Viswanadham *
Sai Chand Sai or SAI may refer to: Companies * Science Applications Incorporated, original name of Leidos * ICAO designator for Shaheen Air, a Pakistani airline * Skandinavisk Aero Industri, a former Danish aeroplane manufacturer * Software Architects, In ...
as Venkat *
Tanikella Bharani Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright and director who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including some in Tamil and Hindi; while he was ...
as Nanaji *
Subhalekha Sudhakar Suravajhala Sudhakar (born 19 November 1960), known by his stage name Subhalekha Sudhakar, is an Indian actor who works in Telugu and Tamil language films and television. Sudhakar's first Telugu film '' Subhalekha'' (1982) gained him wide reco ...
as "Malli" Mallick * Chakravarthy as J. Durga Rao (J. D.) * Jithendra as Chinna *
Ramjagan Ramjagan is an Indian television, drama and movie actor. Filmography # ''Maharshi'' (1988) #'' Siva'' (1989) # ''Patha Basti'' (1995) # Ooru ki monagadu (1995) #'' Deyyam'' (1996) #'' Preyasi Rave'' (1999) # '' Annayya'' (2000) #''Shock'' (2 ...
as Naresh * Viswanath as Ganesh * Sushma as Keerthi *
Nirmalamma Nirmalamma (18 July 1920 – 19 February 2009) was an Indian actress in the Telugu cinema. She has acted in more than 800 films. She was well known for her grandmother roles in several films.She won two Nandi Awards. Early life She was born in ...
as Malli's mother *
Brahmaji Brahmaji (born 25 April 1965) is an Indian actor best known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is a regular actor in director Krishna Vamsi's films. Brahmaji appeared in an important role in Krishna Vamsi's debut film as a director, '' Gulabi''. ...
as Bhavani's henchman *
Uttej Uttej is an Indian actor and screenwriter who works in Telugu films. He won the Nandi Award for Best Male Comedian for the film ''Chandamama'' (2007). Personal life Uttej was born and brought up in Nalgonda district. He is the nephew of note ...
as Yadagiri * Bhanu Prakash as the college principal *
Puri Jagannadh Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu ...
(special appearance in the song "Botany")


Production


Development

After he graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Siddhartha Engineering College in
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
,
Ram Gopal Varma Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma (born 7 April 1962), often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema in addition to Bollywood, Hindi, Kannada cinema, Kannada language ...
opened a video-rental shop in Ameerpet. Noting his son's interest in films, Penmatsa Krishnamraju (a former sound recordist for
Annapurna Studios Annapurna Studios is an Indian film production company, founded in 1976 by the actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR). Located in the heart of Hyderabad, India the studio mainly provides services for films including sound stages for set construc ...
) helped Varma join the teams of ''
Collector Gari Abbai ''Collector Gari Abbayi'' () is a 1987 Indian Telugu-language action drama film, produced by Yarlagadda Surendra under S. S. Creations and directed by B. Gopal. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nagarjuna, Sarada and Rajani, with music composed ...
'' (1987) and ''
Rao Gari Illu ''Rao Gari Illu'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by Y. Surendra under Annapurna Studios and S. S. Creations banner and directed by Tharani Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jayasudha and Revathi, while Nagarjuna has ...
'' (1988) as an assistant director. Varma befriended actor
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 ...
, and filmmakers Akkineni Venkat and Yarlagadda Surendra. He presented his script for '' Raathri'' to them. When Nagarjuna rejected it, Varma presented another script based on his life as a student in Vijayawada. He earlier narrated this script to filmmaker
K. Raghavendra Rao Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (born 23 May 1942) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema besides having directed a few Hindi films. He has garnered four state Nandi Awards and fiv ...
who suggested few changes because of its serious tone. Varma watched Rao's '' Kaliyuga Pandavulu'' (1986) and backed out after understanding Rao's point of view. When ''Rao Gari Illu'' was nearly completed, Varma asked co-director
Siva Nageswara Rao Siva Nageswara Rao is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. He is especially known for his work in comedy films. His notable films include ''Money'' (1993), ''Money Money'' (1994), '' Lucky Chance'' (1994), ''Sisi ...
to join him. He approached
Tanikella Bharani Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet, playwright and director who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including some in Tamil and Hindi; while he was ...
to write the dialogues after observing his work in ''
Ladies Tailor ''Ladies Tailor'' is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language comedy film, produced by K. Sarada Devi under the Sri Sravanthi Movies banner, presented by Sravanthi Ravi Kishore and written and directed by Vamsy. It stars Rajendra Prasad and Archana, with ...
'' (1985) and ''
Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe ''Sri Kanakamalaxmi Recording Dance Troupe'' is a 1988 Indian Telugu-language film directed by Vamsy, starring Naresh and Madhuri. It was produced by Sravanthi Ravi Kishore, under ''Sri Sravanthi Movies''. The chartbuster music was composed by ...
'' (1987). Bharani found the plot (as described by Varma) similar to those of
K. S. R. Das Konda Subbarama Das (5 January 1936 – 8 June 2012) or Doss was an Indian film director and film editor. He directed films in many South Indian language films, primarily Telugu and Kannada films. Career He was born on 5 January 1936. He work ...
' films. Varma rejected Bharani's comic version, and asked to rewrite it as a crime drama. Although Bharani's usual fee was 25,000, he received 35,000 for ''Siva''.
Gunasekhar Gunasekar (born 2 June 1964) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Telugu cinema. He has directed films in action, romance, mythological, and historical drama genres. He has won a National Film Award, multiple Nand ...
and
Teja Teja may refer to: Places *Isla Teja, an island in Chile *La Teja, a neighbourhood of Montevideo, Uruguay * Teja, Perak, Malaysia * Teja Kalan, a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India * Teja Khurd, a village in Batala in G ...
, who later pursued career as filmmakers, joined the film's crew as assistant directors. Venkat and Surendra produced ''Siva'' under their banners of
Annapurna Studios Annapurna Studios is an Indian film production company, founded in 1976 by the actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR). Located in the heart of Hyderabad, India the studio mainly provides services for films including sound stages for set construc ...
and SS Creations, respectively. The production began in February 1989. Varma wanted M. M. Keeravani to compose the film's soundtrack and score, since Keeravani had assisted
K. Chakravarthy K. Chakravarthi (born Kommineni Appa Rao; 8 September 1936 – 3 February 2002) was an Indian music director who primarily worked in Telugu cinema. He made his debut with in 1971 with ''Mooga Prema'' and went on compose music for over 949 films ...
on ''Rao Gari Illu''. As both were inexperienced, Keeravani suggested that Varma choose a more seasoned technician and
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan, 3 June 1943) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, instrumentalist, lyricist and singer, popular for his works in Indian Cinema, prominently in Tamil films. Reputed to be one of ...
was signed instead.
S. Gopala Reddy S. Gopal Reddy is an Indian cinematographer, turned screenwriter, director and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema and Bollywood. In 1990, he co-produced the blockbuster Kshana Kshanam, under his production house ''Durga Arts''. He h ...
,
Thota Tharani Thota Tharani is an Indian film art director and production designer who has predominantly worked in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema and Bollywood. As of 2013, he has won two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South and four Tamil ...
and Sattibabu were the film's director of photography, art director and editor, respectively. Gopala Reddy was inspired by
Gordon Willis Gordon Hugh Willis Jr., (May 28, 1931 – May 18, 2014) was an American cinematographer and film director. He is best known for his photographic work on eight Woody Allen films (including ''Annie Hall'' and ''Manhattan''), six Alan J. Pakula fil ...
' work in the crime film, ''
The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'' (1972).


Casting

''Siva'' is Nagarjuna's 17th film as an actor. Varma found him the only actor who could understand his perspective. Nagarjuna and Varma had discussed astronomy and realised that they shared similar sensibilities. That, and Varma's passion for and dedication to films, prompted Nagarjuna to work with him.
Amala Amala may refer to: People * Amala Akkineni, South Indian actress * Amala Chebolu, playback singer in the Telugu film industry, also known as Tollywood * Amala Paul (born 1991), South Indian actress * Amala Shankar (1919–2020), Indian dancer * ...
, who worked with Nagarjuna in ''
Prema Yuddham ''Prema Yuddham'' () is a 1990 Telugu-language romance film produced by P. Vijaya Kumari under the Anupama Arts banner, directed by S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu. It stars Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni with music composed by Hamsalekha. The film was s ...
'' (1990), was chosen as the female lead. ''Siva'' was the first film in her career where the script was explained shot by shot. When Varma approached Rohini to dub Amala's portions, she agreed to dub for Amala only after watching about three reels of footage. Varma chose
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 ...
to play the local crime boss, Bhavani. Varma wanted him to underplay the character, which was based on real life. Before accepting the role, Raghuvaran studied the mannerisms and lifestyles of mob leaders and criminals in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
for 20 days. Varma wanted to name the characters played by Nagarjuna and Raghuvaran as Bhavani and Siva respectively. At Nagarjuna's request, he reversed the names. Varma chose newcomers Chakravarthy, Jithendra, and
Ramjagan Ramjagan is an Indian television, drama and movie actor. Filmography # ''Maharshi'' (1988) #'' Siva'' (1989) # ''Patha Basti'' (1995) # Ooru ki monagadu (1995) #'' Deyyam'' (1996) #'' Preyasi Rave'' (1999) # '' Annayya'' (2000) #''Shock'' (2 ...
to play J. D., Chinna, and Naresh after auditioning them at Annapurna Studios.
Uttej Uttej is an Indian actor and screenwriter who works in Telugu films. He won the Nandi Award for Best Male Comedian for the film ''Chandamama'' (2007). Personal life Uttej was born and brought up in Nalgonda district. He is the nephew of note ...
, one of Varma's assistant directors, played a comic role of a server in the college canteen. He recommended Varma to cast Sushma for Keerthi's role.
P. Sai Kumar Pudipeddi Sai Kumar (born 27 July 1960) is an Indian actor, dubbing artist and television presenter who works predominantly in Telugu language, Telugu, Kannada, in addition to a few Tamil language, Tamil films. He has received three state Film ...
was initially supposed to play J. D., but the role went to Chakravarthy. Varma met the latter on the film's sets and asked him to perform a scene of his choice. Despite an unsuccessful screen test, Varma selected Chakravarthy after a meeting on the next day after observing the depth in his expression. Seasoned actors such as
Murali Mohan Maganti Murali Mohan (born 24 June 1940) is an Indian actor, producer, politician, and business executive from Telugu cinema. In 1973, Murali Mohan debuted in ''Jagame Maya'', produced by Atluri Poornachandra Rao. He gained recognition with the ...
,
Gollapudi Maruti Rao Gollapudi Maruti Rao (14 April 1939 – 12 December 2019) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, dramatist, playwright, columnist and dialogue writer known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu Literature. Rao acted in over 250 ...
,
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 s ...
,
Subhalekha Sudhakar Suravajhala Sudhakar (born 19 November 1960), known by his stage name Subhalekha Sudhakar, is an Indian actor who works in Telugu and Tamil language films and television. Sudhakar's first Telugu film '' Subhalekha'' (1982) gained him wide reco ...
, and Saichand played supporting roles. Bharani agreed to play Bhavani's assistant, Nanaji, at Varma's insistence. Producer Akkineni Venkat made a cameo appearance as one of Bhavani's clients, and Siva Nageswara Rao dubbed his portion.
Brahmaji Brahmaji (born 25 April 1965) is an Indian actor best known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is a regular actor in director Krishna Vamsi's films. Brahmaji appeared in an important role in Krishna Vamsi's debut film as a director, '' Gulabi''. ...
was cast as Bhavani's henchman.


Filming

Varma read about
steadicam Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizer mounts for Movie camera, motion picture cameras invented by Garrett Brown and introduced in 1975 by Cinema Products Corporation. It was designed to isolate the camera from the camera operator's movement ...
in ''
American Cinematographer ''American Cinematographer'' is a magazine published monthly by the American Society of Cinematographers. It focuses on the art and craft of cinematography, covering domestic and foreign feature productions, television productions, short films, mu ...
'', and enquired about the possibility of a similar camera in India. After learning that steadicam was available in Chennai for four years and was already obsolete, Varma decided to use it despite Gopala Reddy's apprehension. Varma chose
Rasool Ellore Rasool Ellore Reddy (born 8 October 1964), also known as Rasool, is an Indian cinematographer, screenwriter, and director known for his works in Telugu, and Hindi films. He is the brother-in-law and cousin of noted cinematographers, S. Gopal Re ...
over
Rajiv Menon Rajiv Menon (born 20 April 1963) is an Indian filmmaker who has worked as a film director, director and cinematographer in several Indian regional film industries. After making his breakthrough as a film cinematographer with Mani Ratnam's drama ...
and Deenpal to assist Gopala Reddy with the steadicam.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began on 16 February 1989, and wrapped in 55 working days. Except for three days in Chennai, the film was shot in
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. The scenes of the protagonist's college life were filmed at Keyes High school, near
Secunderabad Junction railway station Secunderabad Junction (station code: SC) is a major intercity junction railway station and a commuter rail hub in the Hyderabad urban area. In the city centre, the station is in the South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways. Built in 1874 b ...
. A school wall was demolished, and a gate was repaired for the film's opening scene. Raghuvaran was carried away during the shoot of few action sequences and slapped Brahmaji for nearly six times in a row. To avoid such issues in the case of murder scenes, Varma decided to complete a few of them by using plain close-ups of the victims. Sudhakar's murder scene was filmed near
Keesara Keesara also known as Kesarigiri ancient name, is a major village and mandal headquarters in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of the Indian state of Telangana. It is the mandal and divisional headquarters of Keesara mandal in Keesara revenue div ...
in
Ranga Reddy district Ranga Reddy district ( R. R. district) is a district in the Indian state of Telangana. The district headquarters is located at Lakdikapool, Hyderabad. The district was named after the former deputy chief minister of the United Andhra Pradesh, K ...
. Gopala Reddy and Ellore placed a camera in a bag and ran behind him for a shaky effect. In the cycle-chain scene in which Siva uses a cycle chain to fight with J. D., the hand pulling the chain was Ellore's; in the next shot, Nagarjuna is shown holding the chain. The scene in which Naresh is killed near his home was filmed in the streets of Vengala Rao Nagar. The cycle chase scenes were filmed in
Somajiguda Somajiguda is a Commercial Centre of Hyderabad located on either sides of Raj Bhavan Road. It started as a peaceful residential locality but slowly has transformed into a modern business centre in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is a hub of comme ...
and the slums behind
Yashoda Hospitals Yashoda Hospitals is a chain of hospitals based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It has branches in Somajiguda, Secunderabad, and Malakpet, with another branch coming up in Hitec City. All of its branches are NABH and NABL accredited. It was ...
. The bus chase scene was shot in Yusufguda. The film's climax was filmed at the Swapnalok complex in
Secunderabad Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It ...
, and Bhavani's suicide was filmed on a set at Venus Studios in Chennai. Several romantic scenes with Nagarjuna and Amala were initially filmed at Ushakiron Movies in Secunderabad. Dissatisfied with the results, Varma reshot them at the Osman Ali House.
Mugur Sundar Mugur Sundar is a dance choreographer in South Indian cinema. Early life Sundar was born in Mugur, a village located in Mysore district, Karnataka. He has three sons, Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram and Nagendra Prasad, who are established dance ...
choreographed the songs, and "Anando Brahma" was filmed at the
Borra Caves The Borra Caves (also called ''Borra Guhalu'') are located on the East Coast of India, in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku Valley (with hill ranges' elevation varying from ) of the Alluri Sitharama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh. The caves ...
in
Visakhapatnam , image_alt = , image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
. The film crew had to crawl into the caves, making ''Siva'' the first Telugu film shot in its interiors. The remaining songs were filmed on sets at Annapurna Studios. Srinivasa Rao filmed his scenes in one day. The fights, choreographed by Varma, featured hand-to-hand combat and attacks with hooks as he was trained in
kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
.


Themes and influences

''Siva'' explores the exploitation of students by anti-social elements against a
mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
backdrop and the impact on them of
crowd psychology Crowd psychology, also known as mob psychology, is a branch of social psychology. Social psychologists have developed several theories for explaining the ways in which the psychology of a crowd differs from and interacts with that of the individ ...
. It also focuses on politics and betrayal in the scene where Bhavani murders Machiraju and his enemy Viswanadham. As a student, Varma observed and participated in gang wars and student politics besides analysing the impact of a gangster's lifestyle and body language on students. Those experiences inspired him to begin writing ''Siva''. Most of the characters, including Bhavani, were inspired by real life. Bhavani was based on Radha, an actual crime boss with a reputation for violence in
Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
; Bhavani, like Radha, is also a woman's name. Siva's character was comparatively fictitious whom Varma considered an "ideal person" making the society "too dramatic". Siva was partially based on Varma's friend, Golla Ravi, who lived in
Punjagutta Panjagutta is a commercial and residential area in western Hyderabad, India. The area contains IT hubs, shopping malls and jewellery shops. It has become a major transit point for traffic to and from the Hyderabad districts of Ameerpet, Banjara h ...
. Assistant director
Krishna Vamsi Pasupuleti Venkata Bangarraju, know professionally as Krishna Vamsi, is an Indian film director, producer and choreographer known for his work in Telugu cinema. Vamsi started his career as an assistant director to Ram Gopal Varma. He made his d ...
found the film's story similar to '' Arjun'' (1985). Varma said that ''Arjun'' was an inspiration for ''Siva'', since
Sunny Deol Ajay Singh Deol (born 19 October 1956), better known by his stage name Sunny Deol, is an Indian actor, film director, producer, politician and current Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur (Lok Sabha constituency) of Punjab, India. As an actor, ...
title character in ''Arjun'' was a hero who "does not bend to forces larger than himself". Apart from ''Arjun'', Varma was also inspired by ''
Ardh Satya ''Ardh Satya'' () is a 1983 film directed by Govind Nihalani, his second offering after another angst-ridden movie '' Aakrosh'' (1980). The screenplay of both movies was by Vijay Tendulkar, the noted Marathi playwright; this one was based on the ...
'' (1983) and ''Kaal Chakra'' (1988). The basic plot of ''
The Way of the Dragon ''The Way of the Dragon'' (, originally released in the United States as ''Return of the Dragon'') is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Bruce Lee, who also stars in the lead role. This is Lee' ...
'' (1972) was adapted by Varma for ''Siva''. In ''The Way of the Dragon'', Tang Lung (
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
) comes from
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
to work in a Chinese restaurant in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
and fights local gangsters who try to intimidate the owners; this leads to a rivalry with a crime boss (
Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...
). In ''Siva'', Nagarjuna comes from a nearby town to Vijayawada to further his education, fights gangsters and develops a rivalry with Raghuvaran. While Lee and Norris fight at the
Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...
at the climax of ''The Way of the Dragon'', Nagarjuna and Raghuvaran duel on a building terrace in ''Siva''. In addition to ''The Way of the Dragon'', Varma adapted scenes from a number of other films. Malli's mother slapping a police inspector for failing to save him was inspired by Steven Spielberg's ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
'' (1975), and the cycle chase scene was based on a similar scene in ''Arjun''. A scene in which goons demand donations to build a temple for
Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...
was from ''Kaal Chakra''. Although Varma wanted to film a fight between Nagarjuna and Chakravarthy during a football match (based on a similar scene in 1978's '' Damien: Omen II''), Venkat was indifferent to the idea.


Music

The five-song soundtrack album and background score of ''Siva'' were composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with
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 ...
Sundararama Murthy writing the lyrics of "Anando Brahma", "Enniyallo", and "Kiss Me Hello".
Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry (born Chembolu Seetharama Sastry; 20 May 1955 – 30 November 2021) was an Indian poet and lyricist known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acquired the stage name Sirivennela after writing the ...
wrote the lyrics for the remaining two songs: "Botany" and "Sarasalu".
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), also referred to as SPB or SP Balu or Balu, was an Indian playback singer, television presenter, actor, music composer, dubbing artist, and film producer. He is wi ...
,
S. Janaki Sistla Janaki (born 23 April 1938) is an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer from Andhra Pradesh. She is referred to respectfully as "Janaki Amma" and Nightingale of South India. She is one of the best-known playback singers in ...
,
K. S. Chithra Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra (born 27 July 1963), always credited as K. S. Chithra or Chithra, is an Indian playback singer and Carnatic musician. In a career spanning over four decades, she has recorded over 25,000 songs in various In ...
, and
Mano Mano may refer to: People * Mano people, an ethnic group in Liberia * Mano (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Mano (Mozambican footballer) (born 1984), real name Celso Halilo de Abdul * Mano (Portuguese footballer) ...
were the singers. Due to a strike in Madras, Ilaiyaraaja and Varma completed the background score in Mumbai. The producers suggested Varma to use stock tunes instead for the score. Nagarjuna noticed this and asked them to provide what Varma asked for, and offered to pay the additional expenses incurred if any. For an action scene, Ilaiyaraaja used moving string music; when Varma asked why, he answered: "They have come here to study and they are fighting. So I just felt sad for them". Varma was impressed with Deepan Chatterjee's work in ''Sindhoora Puvvu'' (1988) and recruited him as ''Siva''
sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
er.
Ismail Darbar Ismail Darbar is an Indian film score composer, instrumentalist, violinist and music director. Career Ismail Darbar is from Surat, Gujarat. He worked for several years as a session violinist for leading music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kal ...
, who later composed the music for ''
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It was released internationally as ''Straight From the Heart''. The film stars Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. Ba ...
'' (1999) and ''
Devdas ''Devdas'' ( bn, দেবদাস, transliterated as ''Debdās'') is a Bengali romance novel written by Sarat Chandra Chatterjee. The story pivots a tragic triangle linking Devdas, an archetypal lover in viraha (separation); Paro, his forbidden ...
'' (2002), worked with Ilaiyaraaja on ''Siva'' as a violinist. The soundtrack was successful, and Chatterjee's sound design was critically acclaimed. Varma dedicated the background score of his '' Rowdy'' (2014), composed by
Sai Karthik Sai Karthik is an Indian music composer, multi instrumentalist, and playback singer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Although he entered the film industry as a drummer for live shows, he soon turned film composer with the film ...
, to Ilaiyaraaja. Adapting the background score of the cycle-chase scene in ''Rowdy'', Varma said that his main interest was "to bring back this composition to express the great idea of the genius laiyaraaja's1989 soundtrack (of ''Siva'') to 2014".


Release

''Siva'' was produced on a budget of 75 lakh. Venkat and Surendra retained the distribution rights for Nizam, Vishakhapatnam and the
East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
and West Godavari regions. The film was released on 5 October 1989, It was featured in the ''Indian Panorama'' mainstream section of the
13th International Film Festival of India The 13th International Film Festival of India was held as IFFI' 90 during 10–20 January 1990 at the Empire Theatre in Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian stat ...
, held on 19 January 1990 at the Empire Theatre in
Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
. The Tamil remake rights to ''Siva'' were initially sold for 100,000. After the film's release, Venkat and Surendra dubbed it into Tamil as ''Udhayam'' and sold its distribution rights for 85 lakh. It was released on 12 January 1990 in 24 centres.


Reception

The film received was praised for its usage of technology and sound design. The distributors were concerned about the film's violence, saying that it would alienate women and families, whom the film industry believed were the majority of the audience. Although Venkat and Surendra expected that the film would have average earnings, ''Siva'' was a commercial success and earned 1
crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
in the Nizam region alone (a first in Telugu cinema). In addition to 50,000, Varma received five percent of ''Siva'' profits. The film had a 100-day run in 22 centres and a 175-day run in five centres. The Tamil version ''Udhayam'' was commercially successful and earned more than 2 crore. Nagarjuna's father
Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...
advised Varma to place an advertisement thanking the audience for the film's success. Varma opposed it, believing that a film's success should be credited to the production team and its failure attributed to the director. When Varma's second film, ''
Kshana Kshanam ''Kshana Kshanam'' () is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language road thriller and heist film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The film stars Venkatesh, Sridevi, Paresh Rawal, and Rami Reddy. The plot follows Satya (Sridevi), a young woman who is ...
'' (1991) under-performed at the box office, ''Siva'' success was considered accidental. For the April 2013 centennial of Indian cinema
News18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
included ''Siva'' on its list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time, calling it a "completely new take on student politics and the ideologies driving it" and saying that the film's ideas "found a reflection in many university elections during a later stage".


Awards


Remakes

''Siva'' was remade by Varma in
Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
as ''
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
'' in 1990, and was Nagarjuna's acting debut in Hindi cinema. It was the last Hindi film with Amala in a lead role. Minor changes were made to the remake's cast and crew. All the songs in the Telugu version were used unchanged except for "Botany", which was reshot at
Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) is a public agricultural university with its headquarters at the village Lam, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. History The original Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University was est ...
in
Rajendranagar Rajendranagar is a mandal in Ranga Reddy district of the Indian state of Telangana. and it is also Rajendranagar revenue division. Rajendranagar is being developed as an IT hub. Demographics India census, Rajendranagar had a population of ...
. Telugu filmmaker
Puri Jagannadh Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu ...
was cast as one of Nagarjuna's friends in the remake. Jagannadh wanted to assist Varma and approached him for an opportunity. Varma insisted Jagannadh to act and he obliged, feeling that this experience would teach him something. Produced in association with Atluri Purnachandra Rao on a budget of 1.15 crore, ''Shiva'' was released on 7 December 1990 and was successful in Mumbai and Kolkata. During the production of ''
James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
'' (2005), Varma planned to remake ''Siva''. The second remake, also entitled ''
Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
'', featured Mohit Ahlawat and
Priyanka Kothari Priyanka Kothari, often credited as Nisha Kothari or Amoha, is an actress and model. She has appeared in Bollywood, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada films. She has frequently appeared in Ram Gopal Varma films. Early life Priyanka Kothari was born in ...
as the characters played by Nagarjuna and Amala in the original. Unlike ''Siva'', the protagonist in the second remake is an honest man who joins the
Mumbai Police The Mumbai Police (Marathi: मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Mumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay Police'') is the police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a part of Maharashtra Police and has the primary responsibiliti ...
as a new recruit; the cycle-chain scene and Raghuvaran's character were omitted. ''Shiva'' received negative reviews; Sukanya Verma of
Rediff.com Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City. , it had more than 300 e ...
wrote that the film "dare to ridiculously rest on the incapable shoulders of a non-acting cast", and nastiness was "defined as a scowling ogre". Director
Riingo Banerjee Riingo Banerjee ( bn, রিঙ্গো ব্যানার্জী) is a noted Indian Bengali film director and score composer. Riingo worked in the advertising industry for 14 years before entering the world of cinema working as a film wr ...
acknowledged ''Siva'' as a source of inspiration for his 2006
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
film ''
Kranti ''Kranti'' () is a 1981 Indian historical drama film, produced and directed by Manoj Kumar, with the story and screenplay written by Salim–Javed. It stars an ensemble cast, consisting of Dilip Kumar in the title role along with Manoj Kumar, ...
''.


Sequel

In September 2020 Nagarjuna said that a sequel to ''Siva'' would be a viable alternative to a digitised version, and proposed a film about Siva, Asha, and their two sons. Advising Varma to develop a script, he asked the director to cast Amala,
Naga Chaitanya Akkineni Naga Chaitanya (born 23 November 1986) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He made his acting debut with ''Josh'' (2009) and his breakthrough came with Gautham Vasudev Menon-directed ''Ye Maaya Chesave'' (2010). He ...
and
Akhil Akkineni Akhil Akkineni (born 8 April 1994) is an American actor of Indian descent who works in Telugu films. Born into the Akkineni family, he is the son of actors Nagarjuna and Amala. In his film career, Akkineni has earned several accolades such as ...
. The sequel would reportedly be produced by Annapurna Studios.


Aftermath


Digitisation

In September 2014, ''Siva'' was digitally remastered for theatrical release. Supriya Yarlagadda of Annapurna Studios said that the decision to remaster and digitise was made after observing the challenges in storing and preserving old film prints. The process (carried out in Mumbai) took a year, and the film's colour and sound quality were enhanced to meet current standards. A silver jubilee event was held on 7 October 2014 in Hyderabad, where Nagarjuna announced that ''Siva'' digitised version would be released on 17 October 2014 on nearly 100 screens. In April 2015, Varma told
Indo-Asian News Service Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is a private Indian news agency. It was founded in 1986 by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the "India Abroad News Service" and later renamed. Their main offices are located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The se ...
that the digitised release was postponed until 15 May because of restoration delays.


Documentary

During the digitisation of ''Shiva'', Varma said that he would release a documentary on the making of the film entitled ''Exploring Shiva after 25 Years''. The first documentary based on a Telugu film, it provided a "holistic view of the film" and featured interviews with the cast and crew and segments on its sound and filming locations. The documentary was released on 5 October 2014, coinciding with ''Siva'' silver anniversary.


Legacy


Influence on film personalities

''Siva'', which attained
cult status A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
in Telugu cinema, is one of the first Telugu films produced after the migration of Telugu film industry from Madras to Hyderabad to feature characters speaking the
Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...
dialect. The film made Nagarjuna a superstar in Telugu cinema; it changed his career, and earned him a reputation for encouraging new directors. Nagarjuna considered ''Siva'' a milestone in his personal life as well since he and Amala, who were in a relationship during the film's shoot, decided to marry after its completion. According to filmmaker V. V. Vinayak and writer Pulagam Chinnarayana, ''Siva'' divided Telugu cinema into two eras: before and after the film. With ''Siva'', Varma was credited with the introduction of steadicams and new sound recording techniques in Telugu films. Within a year of the film's release, more than ten steadicams were imported into India. ''Siva'' attracted the young audience during its theatrical run, and its success encouraged filmmakers to explore a variety of themes and make experimental Telugu films. Bharani broke through as an actor and dialogue writer with the film. Chakravarthy, Jithendra and Ramjagan achieved success with ''Siva'', and the former two adapted J. D. and Chinna as screen names. Kannada actor and filmmaker
Upendra Upendra (Devanagari: उपेन्द्र) is an Indian masculine given name. The meaning of the Sanskrit word ' is "younger brother of Indra" and refers to either Krishna or Vishnu, who as a son of Aditi (or in the Vamana avatar) was born subs ...
reworked the narrative of '' Om'' (1995) when he found the previous version similar to ''Siva''. Telugu filmmaker
S. S. Rajamouli Koduri Srisaila Sri Rajamouli ( ; born 10 October 1973) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is the highest paid director in India, and is known for his action, fantasy, and epic genre films. T ...
understood the importance of heightening tension in action sequences, and the impact created by proper use of sound after watching ''Siva''.
Srinu Vaitla Srinu Vaitla (born 24 September 1972) is an Indian film director who works in Telugu cinema. Known for his best film works in the action comedy genre, Vaitla made his directional debut with ''Nee Kosam'' (1999) starring Ravi Teja and Maheswari. ...
,
Sudheer Varma Sudheer Varma was an Indian film director and writer who worked predominantly in Telugu cinema. He made his directorial debut with the film '' Swamy Ra Ra'' (2013). He later directed films such as ''Dochay'' (2015), ''Keshava'' (2017), and ...
, and Praveen Sri were inspired by ''Siva'' to pursue careers as directors; Sri assisted Ram Gopal Varma before he made his directorial debut with ''
Gaayam 2 ''Gaayam 2'' () is a 2010 Telugu-language crime film, produced by Dr. C. Dharmakartha on Kartha Creations, presented by Ram Gopal Varma and directed by Praveen Sri. Jagapathi Babu, Vimala Raman and the music is composed by Ilayaraja. It is a ...
'' (2010). Music director
Munna Kasi Munna Kasi, also known as Venkata Surya Narayana Murthy Kasi, is an Indian film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces call ...
was inspired by Ilaiyaraaja's work in ''Siva'', and wanted to work with Varma after he graduated. On the rise of antisocial-element-based scripts in Tamil cinema, trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai said in May 2002 that ''Siva'' Tamil-dubbed version (''Udhayam'') was the "forerunner" of city-based crime films. Tamil actor
Ganesh Venkatraman Ganesh Venkatraman is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. He had acted in Radha Mohan's ''Abhiyum Naanum'' (2008), before working in '' Unnaipol Oruvan'' (2009) and ''Kandahar'' (2010). Career Ganesh began his ac ...
was "mesmerised" as a child by ''Siva'', admiring Nagarjuna and carrying a cycle chain in his schoolbag. About the impact of '' Baahubali: The Beginning'' (2015) on Indian cinema,
Rana Daggubati Ramanaidu "Rana" Daggubati (; born 14 December 1984) is an Indian actor and producer known primarily for his work in Telugu language films, in addition to Hindi and Tamil languages. Rana is described as one of the few actors in India who were ...
said that regional films can gain national acceptance for their content and cited the success of ''Siva'' and ''
Roja Roja may refer to: * ''Roja'' (film), a 1992 Tamil-language film by director Mani Ratnam * ''Roja'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film * Roja Selvamani Roja Selvamani (born Sri Latha Reddy; 17 November 1972), also known as R. K. ...
'' (1992) as examples. In March 2016,
Karthi Karthik Sivakumar (born 25 May 1977), better known by his stage name Karthi, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. He has won three Filmfare Awards South, an Edison Award, a SIIMA Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award. ...
said that he admired Nagarjuna after seeing ''Udhayam'' it’s Tamil dubbed version and ''
Idhayathai Thirudathe ''Idhayathai Thirudathey'' ( Don't steal the heart) is an Indian Tamil-language series airing on Colors Tamil. It premiered on 14 February 2020 and last aired on 3 June 2022. The show stars Navin Kumar and Bindhu Hima. The show is the officia ...
'' (1989) and found working with him in ''
Oopiri ''Oopiri'' () is a 2016 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Vamshi Paidipally, and produced by PVP Cinema. The film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Karthi and Tamannaah while Prakash Raj, Vivek, Ali Basha, Jayasudha, Kalpana, Tanikella Bharani a ...
'' (2016) "a great chance to know him."


In popular culture

The cycle-chain scene became popular, with people telling Varma that they broke a cycle chain after seeing ''Siva''; the director called them the "ultimate example of how imagination can take over and become a reality in time". As of 2014, the chain used in the film is owned by Chakravarthy. Film-poster designers Anil and Bhanu said that posters should be designed to make a subconscious impact on the viewer, citing the title logo of ''Siva'' (with Nagarjuna and the cycle chain) as an example. Inspired by Varma's work in ''Siva'', Rajamouli composed the action sequence during the intermission of his directorial debut '' Student No. 1'' (2002), and followed the shot division of the cycle-chain scene for the same. Chakravarthy agreed to play the antagonist in Naga Chaitanya's acting debut, ''
Josh Josh is a masculine given name, frequently a diminutive (hypocorism) of the given names Joshua or Joseph, though since the 1970s, it has increasingly become a full name on its own. It may refer to: People A–J * "Josh", an early pseudonym of S ...
'' (2009), and said that its makers are "trying to get JD of ''Shiva'' who actually ran away mid way from college". ''
Bangalore Mirror ''Bangalore Mirror'' is a daily English-language newspaper published in Bangalore, India. It is a deputed newspaper and is the second-largest circulating English newspaper in the city ''Vijay Times'' ''Vijay Times'' was an English newspaper st ...
'' and other reviewers noted similarities between ''Josh'' and ''Siva'', which Chaitanya called a "coincidence". Chaitanya's films, '' Bezawada'' (2011)—produced by Varma—and ''
Autonagar Surya ''Autonagar Surya'' is a 2014 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by Deva Katta. The film stars Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, with Brahmanandam and Sai Kumar in pivotal roles. The film was produced by K. Atchi Reddy on Max I ...
'' (2014), were noted for similarities to ''Siva''. ''Siva'' was parodied in several films such as ''
Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
'' (2006), ''
Oosaravelli ''Oosaravelli'' ( Chameleon) is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film directed by Surender Reddy. It stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Tamannaah with Prakash Raj in an important role. The score and soundtrack for the film is composed by D ...
'' (2011), ''
Katha Screenplay Darsakatvam Appalaraju ''Katha Screenplay Darsakatvam Appalaraju'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language comedy film written and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. It stars Sunil and Swati Reddy in the lead roles, alongside Brahmanandam and Kota Srinivasa Rao. Sudhakar Redd ...
'' (2011) (also directed by Varma), and '' Sudigadu'' (2012). Amala listed ''Siva'' with ''
Pushpaka Vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...
'' (1987), ''
Vedham Pudhithu ''Vedham Pudhithu'' () is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language drama film written and directed by Bharathiraja. It is based on the play ''Saadhigal Illaiyadi Papa'' written by K. Kannan, who after this film came to be known as ''Vedham Pudhithu'' Kann ...
'' (1987), ''
Agni Natchathiram ''Agni Natchathiram'' () is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language masala film that was written and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Prabhu, Karthik, Amala and newcomer Nirosha, with Vijayakumar, Jayachitra, Sumithra, Tara, S. N. Lakshmi an ...
'' (1988), and '' Karpoora Mullai'' (1991) as her most memorable films. Geethika Chandrahasan Sudip of ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' listed ''Siva'' for the letter S in the July 2015 "ABCD of Telugu cinema". In August 2015, Pooja Darade of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' included the film on her list of "Telugu movies one must watch before dying". Fahad Usmani of ''
The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...
'' compared ''Siva'' to ''
Mother India ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village woma ...
'' (1957), ''
Sholay ''Sholay'' (, ) is a 1975 Indian Hindi-language action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), ...
'' (1975), '' Mr. India'' (1987), '' Agneepath'' (1990), and '' Ghayal'' (1990), noting that their antagonists became more popular than their heroes.


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

* {{Filmfare Best Telugu Film 1980s action drama films 1980s crime action films 1980s Telugu-language films 1989 crime drama films 1989 directorial debut films 1989 films Films directed by Ram Gopal Varma Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja Films set in Hyderabad, India Films set in Vijayawada Films shot in Vijayawada Indian action drama films Indian crime action films Indian crime drama films Telugu films remade in other languages