T-Effect : ‘Komaram Bheem’ finally hits the silver screen after being in can for 20 years.

AbdulMuqtadir Syed / Headlines / 22 Comments

For 20 years, a film made on a tribal revolutionary from Adilabad who fell to the bullets of the Nizam’s army, has remained in the cans. On Friday, ‘Komaram Bheem’, will finally hit the silver screen.

The film is about the Gonds’ struggle of the 1940s in backward Adilabad district against the oppressive rule of the Nizam and the real life hero, Komaram Bheem, who led it. Komaram Bheem has attained an iconic status.

Though the movie bagged two Nandi awards in 1990, there were no takers for it and did not hit the silver screen. With the political atmosphere in the state changing with Telangana becoming the centre of every activity, the state government has swung into action now to release the film.

The film will be open for viewing in one of the screens at Imax apart from Deepak theatre at Narayanaguda in the city. It will also be released in three theatres in Adilabad, one in Warangal and one in Karimnagar. This is for the first time that the state government through the A P Film, TV and Theatre Development Corporation (APFTVTDC) got involved in the release of a film by facilitating a meeting with exhibitors.

‘Komaram Bheem’ was produced by Filmmedia Productions with some financial assistance from the Utnoor division of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) 20 years ago. Finally, the daring deeds of a real-life hero will be seen on the screen from tomorrow.

It won two Nandi awards in 1990 – for the best director of a debut film and another for best feature film on national integration. Goutam Ghosh, who directed ‘Maa Bhoomi’, the acclaimed movie on Telangana has provided the musical score for ‘Komaram Bheem’.

This film on the Telangana tribal revolutionary will subsequently be released in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam in Andhra region and Anantapur of Rayalaseema region.

Interestingly, the production of the film had been initiated by IAS officer P Subramanyam when he was in the ITDA 20 years ago. Last year, Subramanyam, special secretary in the chief minister’s office, took interest for the theatrical release of the film. The IAS officer had died in the helicopter crash along with chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in September last year.

Another interesting aspect about the release of ‘Komaram Bheem’ is that soon another film with Komaram’s name is also being released.

Prajarajyam Party (PRP) leader Chiranjeevi’s brother Pawan Kalyan is the hero of the film titled ‘Komaram Puli’. Though this movie is not about Komaram Bheem himself, the reference to him in the title itself indicates that the real life hero would be eulogised on the screen. Incidentally, Telangana activists see Chiranjeevi as anti-Telangana while his brother Pawan Kalyan is recognising the greatness of a Telangana Gond tribal revolutionary.

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