''Vedam'' () is a 2010 Indian Telugu-language anthology film written and directed by Krish, and produced by

Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni are an Indian film producer duo. They founded Arka Media Works, a film production company known for its works in Telugu cinema. Their notable productions include '' Vedam'' (2010), ''Maryada Ramanna'' (2010), ...

under their banner

Arka Media Works Arka Media Works is an Indian film production and trans-media company based out of Hyderabad, known for their works in Television and Telugu cinema. Founded in 2001 by Shobu Yarlagadda, and Prasad Devineni Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devin ...

. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of

Allu Arjun Allu Arjun (born 8 April 1982) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films. One of the highest paid actors in India, Arjun is also known for his extraordinary dancing skills. He is a recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Award ...

, Anushka Shetty,

Manchu Manoj Manchu Manoj Kumar (born 20 May 1983) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films. He first appeared at the age of ten as a child artist in '' Major Chandrakanth''. He made his film debut in a leading role with ''Donga Dongadi'' in 2004. He re ...

Manoj Bajpayee Manoj Bajpayee (born 23 April 1969), also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema and has also done Telugu and Tamil language films. Regarded as one of the finest actors of Hindi cinema, he i ...

Saranya Ponvannan Saranya Ponvannan (born Sheela Christina) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam language films. Saranya made her debut in a lead role in Mani Ratnam's ''Nayakan'' (1987) and went on to play lead roles fr ...

, Nagayya,

Deeksha Seth Deeksha Seth (born 14 February 1990) is an Indian actress and model. A finalist in Femina Miss India in 2009, she made her acting debut in the Telugu film '' Vedam'' (2010). Early life Seth was born on 14 February 1990 in Delhi. Since her fathe ...

, and

Lekha Washington Lekha Washington is an Indian actress, artist, and product designer who has predominantly appeared in Tamil and Telugu language films. She was first recognised for her work as a sculptor in 2002 and then as a theatre actress in Chennai based sta ...

. M. M. Keeravani composed the music while Gnana Shekar V. S. did the cinematography. Broadly falling into the

hyperlink cinema Hyperlink cinema is a style of filmmaking characterised by complex or multilinear narrative structures with multiple characters under one unifying theme. History The term was coined by author Alissa Quart, who used the term in her review of the f ...

genre, the film was critically acclaimed,gained cult status receiving several accolades. including four Filmfare Awards (Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress). ''

Film Companion Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...

'' included ''Vedam'' in their list of 25 Greatest Telugu Films Of The Decade. Krish later remade the film in

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 ...

as ''

Vaanam ''Vaanam'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Krish. It is the remake of his own Telugu film '' Vedam'' (2010) starring Allu Arjun, Manchu Manoj and Anushka Shetty. It features an ensemble cast of Sil ...

'' (2011).

Plot

Vedam revolves around five principal characters. Vivek Chakravarthy is an upcoming rock star in Bengaluru who hails from a family of decorated army officers. His mother wants him to follow the same path, but he is not interested. He is about to give his first live concert on New Year's Eve with his bandmates in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

. However, Vivek is late to catch the flight, forcing the band to travel by road. After some time, one of their tyres gets deflated. Not having a spare, the other friends go to get the tyre inflated, leaving Vivek and Lasya alone. Meanwhile, they are attacked by a fanatic group. However, they manage to get out of the mess with the help of a truck driver who incidentally gets involved in an earlier altercation with Vivek. The band successfully reaches Hyderabad. However, they suffer a minor accident there, which involves a mother in

labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

, So Vivek and Lasya take her to a hospital nearby. Saroja is a prostitute in

Amalapuram Amalapuram is a town in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the district headquarters and the largest town of Konaseema district. It is the mandal and divisional headquarters of Amalapuram mandal and Amalapuram revenue division respectivel ...

working for Rattamma. She has a best friend Karpooram, who is a

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...

. Saroja doesn't like working for Rattamma and plans to run away from there. Her dreams come true when she receives a call from Hyderabad from one of her agents. The very next day, which happens to be New Year's Eve, she leaves for Hyderabad with Karpooram without Rattamma's knowledge, but not before putting the local sub-inspector Bullebbayi to sleep using pills before sleeping with him. However, Saroja is arrested in Hyderabad by constables for betraying Bullebbayi. Karpooram frees her from the inspector, and both are taken by their agent to a client. The client turns out to be yet another broker who bought Saroja and Karpooram from Rattamma. Both successfully escape from the broker after a scuffle, during which Karpooram gets stabbed. So, Saroja takes her to the same hospital that Vivek and Lasya take the pregnant lady to. Ramulu is a debt-ridden weaver from

Sircilla Sircilla (also spelled as Siricilla/Sirsilla) is a town and the district headquarters of Rajanna Sircilla district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is located on the banks of Manair river in the Sircilla mandal of Sircilla revenue divisio ...

. He lives with his widowed daughter-in-law Padma and grandson. Ramulu is desperate to get his grandson educated, being illiterate himself. However, he owes money to the local landlord, who takes his grandson away, saying he would be sent to the construction business in the city for 11 years to recover the money. He gives Ramulu and Padma three days to clear the debt. Not knowing what to do, Padma agrees to sell her

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

, which is illegal, as Ramulu had previously sold his kidney for the same purpose. They come to Hyderabad, and her kidney is sold successfully in the hospital where the previous four characters are. The original kidney is sold for 1,00,000, of which Ramulu gets 37,000. Rahimuddin Qureshi is hailing from Old Basti in Hyderabad. In the past, his wife suffered a miscarriage due to a scuffle between him and a few devotees during a religious procession. Unable to bear the loss, he decides to leave the country. However, during his farewell party, Shivaram, who previously insulted Rahim during the scuffle, comes to his house and arrests his nephews, alleging that they have links with terrorists. When Rahim obstructs him, he arrests him too. During interrogation, one of his nephews accepts his terrorist background and says something tragic would happen on New Year's Eve. Rahim is shocked. When the police transport him to remand, Rahim panics and tries to escape. However, his escape bid is unsuccessful, and he gets shot in the leg. He is then taken to the same hospital as the rest of the characters are in and kept in the same ward as another terrorist suspect. Anand Raj also known as Cable Raju is a

lower middle class In developed nations around the world, the lower middle class is a subdivision of the greater middle class. Universally, the term refers to the group of middle class households or individuals who have not attained the status of the upper middle ...

guy hailing from

Jubilee Hills Jubilee Hills is an affluent suburban neighbourhood in Western part of Hyderabad, Telangana. It is one of the most expensive commercial and residential locations in India with prime land prices fetching up to 300,000 ($4015) per square yard. A ...

slum, living with his maternal grandmother. He loves Pooja, who is from the upper class of the society. Pooja, however, doesn't know of Raju's financial background and thinks of him to be rich. Raju has to get two passes for a lavish New Year's Eve party which cost almost 40,000. He tries to obtain that money by various means but is unsuccessful. He even tries to snatch chains from women's necks but is apprehended by the police when his motorbike hits a police van. He is taken to the police station where he meets Saroja. However, Dappu Subani, who initiated him into the chain-snatching business, comes to his rescue and gets him freed. His grandmother, vexed at his behaviour, gives him 3,000 rupees and asks him to do whatever he wants. In a local cafeteria, he happens to see Ramulu with his money bundle, decides to steal it, and follows him to the hospital. He successfully manages to steal the bundle from Ramulu and Padma. However, as he is about to pay for the passes, he realizes his mistake, adds his own 3,000 rupees to the bundle and returns it to Ramulu at the hospital. Meanwhile, a group of terrorists come to the ward housing Rahim and free their leader. They leave Rahim unharmed on account of him being a Muslim and start the terrorist attack. Raju and Vivek try to save as many people as possible. They even kill two terrorists in the process. Rahim saves Shivaram's life. In the final fight sequence, Raju and Vivek valiantly give up their lives, trying to protect the people in the hospital. The conclusion of the movie shows Saroja deciding to change her profession; Vivek was dead but is recognized as a national hero; Raju was dead being respected by all in his community, with Pooja coming to see him along with her mother; and Rahim being freed by Shivaram. As for Ramulu, the landlord tries to fool him by saying he did not pay enough, but Ramulu's grandson calculates and said he paid enough. The landlord is impressed and lets them go.

Cast

as Anand Raj / Cable Raju * Anushka Shetty as Saroja (

voiceover Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...

by Jyothi Verma) *

Manoj Manchu Manchu Manoj Kumar (born 20 May 1983) is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films. He first appeared at the age of ten as a child artist in '' Major Chandrakanth''. He made his film debut in a leading role with ''Donga Dongadi'' in 2004. He re ...

as Vivek Chakravarti *

as Rahimuddin Qureshi *

as Padma * Nagayya as Ramulu *

as Pooja (voice dubbed by

Anasuya Bharadwaj Anasuya Bharadwaj (born 15 May 1985) is an Indian television presenter and actress who works in Telugu films and television. She has received two South Indian International Movie Awards, an IIFA Utsavam Award and South filmfare Awards for her ...

) *

as Lasya * Ravi Prakash as ACP Shivaram * Seiya Gautam as Zara *

Satyam Rajesh Rajesh Babu, better known as Satyam Rajesh, is an Indian actor who primarily appears in Telugu films. He has worked in more than 350 films. Rajesh got the moniker Satyam following his appearance in the 2003 film of the same name. Early life ...

as Ganapati *

Brahmanandam Kanneganti Brahmanandam (born 1 February 1956), known mononymously as Brahmanandam, is an Indian actor, comedian, impersonator, and voice actor known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is particularly known for his comic perfor ...

as Brother Bairagi *

Posani Krishna Murali Posani Krishna Murali (born 22 January 1958) is an Indian screenwriter, actor, director and producer who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He worked as a writer for over 150 Telugu films and directed a number of films. In 2009, he also cont ...

as Police Inspector * Nagabathula Manoj Kumar as Dappu Subani * Nikki as Karpooram * Prudhviraj as Bullebbayi *

Ravi Raghavendra Ravi Raghavendra is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil films and television serials. Career and personal life Raghavendra has appeared on television and in films since the 1980s, often playing supporting roles. He has also worked in theatre. ...

as Kidney Transplant Surgeon * Nagineedu as a terrorist *

Kallu Chidambaram Kolluru Chidambara Rao (10 October 1945 – 19 October 2015), known professionally as Kallu Chidambaram, was an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu cinema. Chidambaram is one of the finest comedians of Telugu cinema. Chidambaram started h ...

* Giridhar as Koti * Rakesh Varre * Appa Rao * Krish as a ''

sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...

'' in a

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

in the song "Rupayi"

Production

Development

Director Krish had a visual of an old man walking along with a child in his dreams. However, he felt it as too arty to make a film and also the story was not complete. One day while travelling from Guntur to

, he narrated the story of Nagayya (initially he named it Jalayya) to cinematographer Gnana Sekhar, who also worked with him in ''

Gamyam ''Gamyam'' () is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language road film written and directed by Krish. The film stars Allari Naresh, Sharwanand, and Kamalinee Mukherjee. Loosely inspired by '' The Motorcycle Diaries'' (2004), the plot follows the quest ...

''. The second story initially he conceptualised was about a film crew and later changed it to music band. The title of ''Vedam'' struck him when he was writing the story at

Sirivennela ''Sirivennela'' () is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language romance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Suhasini, Sarvadaman Banerjee and Moon Moon Sen. The film has music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film won five Nandi Awar ...

's home. The climax of the film was an inspiration from 26/11 Mumbai blasts in Taj Hotel. After getting a basic storyline he decided to produce ''Vedam'' on his banner

First Frame Entertainment First Frame Entertainments is an Indian film and television production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, ...

, before producers Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni decided to finance it.

Casting

Krish wanted to do the character of Karpooram, but decided against it after his mother warned him. Later, when discussing the story with Anushka Shetty, she suggested her personal make-up person Nikki for the role and Krish liked him. Anushka reduced her remuneration by 30% as the film was a low budget production. Rahimuddin Qureshi (the character played by

Manoj Bajpai Manoj Bajpayee (born 23 April 1969), also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema and has also done Telugu and Tamil language films. Regarded as one of the finest actors of Hindi cinema, he i ...

) is the name of Krish's best friend in intermediate. Newcomer Nagayya was cast in the film. The five principal characters were based on the five natural elements-Water, Air, Earth, Fire and Sky. It notably became the first film

and

starred in that did not involve their respective fathers

Allu Aravind Allu Aravind (born 10 January 1949) is an Indian film producer and distributor in Telugu cinema under his banner Geetha Arts. He co-owns the Indian Super League club ''Kerala Blasters FC''. A part of the Allu–Konidela family, Aravind is t ...

and Mohan Babu.

Music

The film's music was composed by M. M. Keeravani while the lyrics were written by

Sirivennela Seetarama 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 th ...

, Sahiti, E. S. Murthy and M. M. Keeravani The audio was released in the presence of notable Telugu film personalities on 3 May 2010. The song "Egiripothe Entha Baguntundi", performed by Sunitha & M. M. Keeravani, became a major hit in Hyderabad and the state of Andhra Pradesh in the months following the release of the audio and film. Tracks 9 to 12 of the soundtrack were only made available on the official Digital release and not the physical CD.

Promotion

''Vedam'' had no promotional activities since the film's launch in 2010. The first activity happened just before the music launch, by releasing the wallpaper masking the main actors and highlighting the film's title at www.idlebrain.com. After the film's music launch, the wallpaper was re-released by revealing the actors. The film was given A certificate because of violence and Anushka's character by CBFC for video release.

Critical reception

''The Times of India'' gave a review stating "After watching contrived plots and stereotype protagonists, this path-breaking movie arrives like a breath of fresh air. Undeniably, it's another inspiring film from the maker of Gamyam." Rediff gave a review stating "Vedam is a must-watch for its story, screenplay, direction and technicalities. It offers hope to the audience interested in good and sensible cinema that such a film can be made in Telugu. Vedam is a beautiful confluence of writing and technical aspects. It has set a benchmark in Telugu cinema." idlebrain.com gave a review stating "Vedam is a good film. Please watch it and encourage good/meaningful cinema. This film will be liked by classes and A center audiences. If masses and B/C centers patronage Vedam, it will not only do good to the film but to the entire Telugu film industry." Esskay of 123telugu.com gave a review stating "If films like Vedam aren't encouraged, we will be left with films that will be made with only money and without a soul! Watch Vedam and ask your friends to watch it, for the sake of good cinema in Telugu. The noise of clapping by the audience after the film finished is the loudest I've heard. I plead and rest my case!"

Awards

;

Nandi Awards of 2010 The Jury of ''Nandi Awards'' announced Nandi Awards for the year 2010 on 5 August 2011 at Film Development Corporation.''Radhakrishna Jagarlamudi, Radhakrishna'' directed '' Vedam (film), Vedam'' won the best film award . '' Nandamuri Balakris ...

* Best Feature Film - Gold -

Shobu Yarlagadda Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni are an Indian film producer duo. They founded Arka Media Works, a film production company known for its works in Telugu cinema. Their notable productions include '' Vedam'' (2010), ''Maryada Ramanna'' (2010), ...

* Special Jury Award - Nagayya ;

58th Filmfare Awards South The 58th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honoring the winners and nominees of the best of South Indian cinema in 2010 was held on 2 July 2011 in Hyderabad, India. Nominations The following is a list of the award winners and nominees. Multiple n ...

Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

–

& Prasad Devineni *

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 ...

– Krish * Best Actor –

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

– Anushka Shetty ; Nominations * Best Music Director - M. M. Keeravani * Best Female Playback Singer - Sunitha - "Egiripothe Entha Baguntundi" * Best Lyricist - Sirivennela Sitaramasastri - "Now or Never" ; 2011

CineMAA Awards The CineMAA Awards are presented annually by the Maa TV Group to honour artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Telugu Cinema. The awards were introduced in 2004. The CineMAA Awards are voted for by both the public and a commit ...

* Best Actress (Jury) – Anushka Shetty * Best Director (Jury) – Krish * Special Jury – Nagayya

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vedam 2010 films Films set in Telangana Indian anthology films Films directed by Krish Films scored by M. M. Keeravani 2010s Telugu-language films Telugu films remade in other languages Hyperlink films Indian nonlinear narrative films Films about prostitution in India 2010 action drama films Indian action drama films