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Aditya 369

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Aditya 369
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySingeetam Srinivasa Rao
Written bySingeetam Srinivasa Rao
Dialogue by
Produced byS. Anitha Krishna
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam (presenter)
StarringNandamuri Balakrishna
Mohini
CinematographyV. S. R. Swamy
Kabir Lal
Edited byGautam Raju
Music byIlaiyaraaja
Production
company
Release date
  • 18 July 1991 (1991-07-18)
Running time
141 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Budget₹1.52 crore[1]

Aditya 369 is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language science fiction film written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna and Mohini with supporting roles played by Amrish Puri, Tinnu Anand, and Suthivelu. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, and the dialogues were written by Jandhyala. Produced by S. Anitha Krishna under the Sridevi Movies banner and presented by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, the film received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, earning two state Nandi Awards.[2]

The plot centers on a time machine named 'Aditya 369' invented by Prof. Ramdas, which attracts various characters, including a burglar aiming to steal a priceless diamond. The protagonist and his team travel through centuries, meeting historical figures and exploring futuristic worlds while navigating the challenges related to the stolen diamond.

Aditya 369 is considered a landmark film in the science fiction genre in Indian cinema.[7] It was the first time travel film ever made in Indian cinema.[5][6] The film explored dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes in a satirical manner.[4][5] The film is inspired by H. G. Wells' 1895 novella The Time Machine (1895), which Singeetam Srinivasa Rao read in college.[3] He chose the time period of Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya (r. 1509–1529) for the historical era and conducted research at the American Library in Madras to depict the future.[8]

The film was produced on a budget of ₹1.52 crore, with principal photography taking approximately 110 days.[9] Three cinematographers—P. C. Sreeram (who shot the present-day scenes before leaving due to ill health), V. S. R. Swamy, and Kabir Lal—contributed to capturing the different time periods depicted in the film.[11] It was later dubbed into Hindi as Mission 369 and into Tamil as Apoorva Sakthi 369.[12]

Plot

[edit]

The film starts in 1991 with Prof. Ramdas, a scientist dedicated to creating a time machine. Meanwhile, Raja Varma, a notorious art thief and criminal, is targeting the 16th-century diamond of the Vijayanagara Empire at the Salar Jung Museum. During a school excursion to the museum, a mischievous boy named Kishore witnesses the theft by Raja Varma’s accomplices, Vasu and Dasu. A brave person named Krishna Kumar saves Kishore and takes him to the hospital. Krishna Kumar is in love with Hema, Prof. Ramdas’s daughter, who thinks her father's experiments are pointless.

Krishna Kumar visits Ramdas' house and sees the time machine, but it breaks down. He also becomes friends with Kishore, who keeps talking about the theft, but no one believes him. Raja Varma's men attempt to kill Kishore in the hospital but fail. Frustrated, Krishna Kumar takes Kishore to the museum to see the now replaced diamond, but Kishore insists it's a fake. Kishore learns about the time machine from Hema and realizes they can use it to travel to the day of the robbery.

One night, Kishore sneaks into Ramdas' house with other hospital kids and activates the time machine. Krishna Kumar and Hema find out and try to rescue them but get caught in the machine, along with a police constable chasing a petty thief.

They arrive in 1526 CE during Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya's reign. Krishna Kumar saves a dancer named Simhanandini from an attack, and she invites them to the royal court. Krishna Kumar impresses Sri Krishnadevaraya by reciting a poem not yet written by the court poet Tenali Ramakrishna. They explain they are from the future, and though skeptical, Sri Krishnadevaraya welcomes them.

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

Simhanandini tries to seduce Krishna Kumar, but he rejects her. Out of jealousy, she accuses Krishna Kumar of deception, but he suggests a dance competition between Hema and Simhanandini. Hema wins, and they ask to see the diamond’s effect during Karthika Pournami. Sri Krishnadevaraya grants their request, and they see the diamond radiate seven colours in the moonlight. When Krishna Kumar tries to retrieve it, Simhanandini and the Senadhipathi (Army Chief) frame him for theft. Tenali Ramakrishna discovers the truth, and Sri Krishnadevaraya, who believes Krishna Kumar is innocent, saves him.

Krishna Kumar and the others then travel to 2504 CE, finding a dystopian world destroyed by radiation in the Third World War. Scientists there live underground and use Sri Krishnadevaraya’s diamond for power. They learn from a news report that Krishna Kumar died in 1991 trying to retrieve the diamond from Raja Varma. As their time runs out in the hostile environment, they return to 1991.

Back in the present, they find Raja Varma has kidnapped Prof. Ramdas and Kishore to seize the time machine. Krishna Kumar rescues them and fights Raja Varma, leading to a showdown at a hilltop where the time machine explodes. Though presumed dead, Krishna Kumar survives by jumping off the cliff before the explosion. He realizes they didn’t get the complete information from the future and the film ends on a happy note.

Cast

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Production

[edit]

Development

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Aditya 369 was inspired by the H. G. Wells' novella The Time Machine (1895), which Singeetam Srinivasa Rao read as a student.[3][10] Though the film has frequently been compared to Back to the Future (1985), according to Rao the similarities between the two stop "with the trouble that the protagonist faces in a different time zone".[13][14]

Rao briefly discussed his story about time travel with S. P. Balasubrahmanyam who immediately liked it. Balasubrahmanyam recommended Nandamuri Balakrishna's name as he felt that Balakrishna would apt be for Sri Krishnadevaraya's role. Balasubrahmanyam's relative Sivalenka Krishna Prasad who had bulk dates of Balakrishna agreed to produce the film.[10] Several titles including Kaalayantram and Yuga Purushudu were considered, however, Aditya 369 was finalised symbolizing Aditya (the Sun) and the time machine's serial number 369 which was chosen as an increasing series symbolising time travel.[3][9]

Cast and crew

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The makers initially approached Vijayashanti as the lead actress but she could not sign the film due to scheduling conflicts. Later, they cast cinematographer P. C. Sreeram's relative Mohini in her place. Three cinematographers worked for the film who shot different time periods. Sreeram shot the scenes related to present-day but he opted out due to ill-health. V. S. R. Swamy and Kabir Lal performed rest of the cinematography.[15] Jandhyala had written the dialogues for this film. While Amrish Puri played the prime antagonist, Tinnu Anand, Suthivelu, Chandra Mohan, and Silk Smita played important roles.[3] The then child artiste, Tarun played a plot moving role.[8]

Filming

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Made on a budget of ₹1.52 crore, principal photography of the film took about 110 days.[9] Sets related to Sri Krishnadevaraya's era were erected at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad. Filming also took place at VGP Golden Beach and Vijaya Vauhini Studios in Madras. Forest scenes were shot at Talakona in Andhra Pradesh.[3][10]

Music

[edit]
Aditya 369
Film score by
Ilaiyaraaja
Released1991
GenreSoundtrack
Length25:52
LabelLEO Audio
ProducerIlaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja chronology
Coolie No. 1
(1991) 		Aditya 369
(1991) 		Killer
(1991)

Music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Music released on LEO Music Company. For the song "Janavule", Rao wanted a tune similar to the old historical films. Jikki was chosen to sing this song, Rao recalled that S. Janaki who was in studio stayed up till the end of song's recording to help Jikki with her lines.[2]

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Jaanavule"VeturiJikki, S. P. Sailaja, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam5:00
2."Raasaleela Vela"VennelakantiS. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam5:07
3."Centurilu Kottey Vayassu"VeturiS. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:53
4."Chilipi Yaatralo"SirivennelaK. S. Chithra, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:45
5."Suramodamu"VeturiS. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sunanda, Singeetam Srinivasa Rao6:07
Total length:25:52

Themes

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Aditya 369 is considered as the first Indian film based on time travel. It dealt with exploratory dystopian and apocalyptic themes.[4][5]

Release and reception

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The film released on 18 July 1991. It received positive reviews and was a commercial success.[16] It was dubbed and released in Tamil as Apoorva Sakthi-369 during August 1992.[10][17]

Legacy

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Aditya 369 is considered a landmark film in the science fiction genre in Telugu cinema and Indian cinema.[3][4][16][5] In September 2020, The News Minute's Balakrishna Ganeshan wrote, "[The film] is considered to be a masterpiece because it perfectly blended the genre of sci-fi and drama with the mainstream template of songs and fight sequences to make it an entertaining watch. It also unlocked the imagination of scores of people to look beyond our realm by popularising Albert Einstein’s theories of time and relativity."[15] Actor and producer Nandamuri Kalyan Ram cited Aditya 369 as one of his favourite films and an inspiration for producing the film Bimbisara (2022).[18]

Future

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In January 2017, Rao announced his intention to work on Aditya 369's sequel.[19] It is reported that the sequel would feature Balakrishna along with his son Mokshagna. The sequel titled Aditya 999 Max was written by Balakrishna in just one night.[20][21]

Awards

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Nandi Awards[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "పాతికేళ్ల 'ఆదిత్య 369'". Andhra Jyothi (in Telugu). 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b "The story behind the song ' Nerajaanavule' from the movie Aditya 369". The Hindu. 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Aditya 369: తెర వెనుక జరిగింది ఇది! - 30 years for classic Aditya 369". Eenadu (in Telugu). Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Ethamukkala, Hemachandra (25 March 2022). "From Nandamuri Balakrishna's 'Aditya 369' To 'Ismart Shankar' – Here's A Look At The Most Popular Science-Fiction South Indian Films!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022. It was Singeetham Srinivas Rao's 'Aditya 369' that first tasted a huge success in Tollywood and it remains one of the all-time classics till today!
  5. ^ a b c d e Goyal, Samarth (30 December 2021). "Best Indian Movies Dealing With Dystopia and Post Apocalypse". Outlook. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022. The 1991 Telugu-language film is vastly considered the first Indian film ever based on the concept of time travel.
  6. ^ a b Nyayapati, Neeshita. "Balakrishna's famous sci-fi 'Aditya 369' turns 27 today". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2023. 'Aditya 369' was considered to be the first time travel film made not just in the Telugu film industry, but also in India.
  7. ^ [3][4][5][6]
  8. ^ a b Sridevi Movies. "30 Years of Aditya 369 Movie | Nandamuri Balakrishna | Mohini | Singeetam SrinivasaRao | Ilayaraja". Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ a b c d "పాతికేళ్ల 'ఆదిత్య 369'". Andhra Jyothi. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ a b c d e "25 Years of Aditya 369". Telugucinema.com. 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ [3][9][10]
  12. ^ Kuldova, Tereza; Varghese, Mathew A. (9 March 2017). Urban Utopias: Excess and Expulsion in Neoliberal South Asia. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-47623-0. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ^ Ganeshan, Balakrishna (19 September 2020). "'Aditya 369': Revisiting the Telugu film which explored time travel in 1991". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Singeetham Srinivasa Rao interview about Welcome Obama". Idlebrain. 20 September 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  15. ^ a b "'Aditya 369': Revisiting the Telugu film which explored time travel in 1991". The News Minute. 19 September 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Celebrating 30 years of timeless classic 'Aditya 369'". Telangana Today. 17 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  17. ^ RSP (7 August 1992). "Time machine". The Indian Express. p. 7. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  18. ^ Nadadhur, Srivathsan (27 July 2022). "Nandamuri Kalyan Ram on Bimbisara: Always had a huge fascination for socio-fantasies and folklore films". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 25 September 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Aditya 369 sequel is on: Singeetham". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Balakrishna – It took me one night to pen Aditya 999 Max's story". 123Telugu.com. 22 October 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  21. ^ Vyas (16 June 2020). "Sai Madhav Burra works on Aditya 369 sequel!". The Hans India. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  22. ^ "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2020.(in Telugu)
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