Swagatam
Swagatam (transl. Welcome) is a 2008 Telugu-language romance film produced by Adityaram on Adityaram Movies banner and directed by Dasarath. It starred Jagapati Babu, Anushka Shetty and Bhumika Chawla in lead roles and its music was composed by R. P. Patnaik.
| Swagatam | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Dasarath |
| Produced by | Adityaram |
| Written by | Dasarath (story / dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | Gopimohan |
| Starring | Jagapati Babu Anushka Shetty Bhumika Chawla |
| Music by | R. P. Patnaik |
| Cinematography | Ramesh |
| Edited by | M.R. Varma |
Production company | Adityaram Movies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹5 crores |
Shot in New York City, Rajahmundry and Hampi, it features a romantic triangle.[1] Directed by Dasarath, the film casts Jagapati Babu as the male romantic lead playing opposite Anushka Shetty and Bhumika Chawla. Several weeks after its release, The Times of India declared the movie a box office "let down".[2]
Plot
Shailu (Anushka Shetty) is an unmarried, ill-tempered businesswoman living in the United States. She tries to care for her mother and young nephew, and manage her bills. KK (Jagapati Babu), with his young daughter, opens a shop across the street from her. This helps her find a new perspective on her life. Shailu falls in love with KK, but when she declares her feelings for him she learns that he already has a wife, Vidya (Bhumika Chawla). In a flashback, the film relates the romance of KK and Vidya. In the past, KK was an abrasive businessman when he sought a mate at Jalaja Rao Marriage Bureau. Instead, he winds up courting and marrying Vidya, an employee. KK's dilemma is simplified by the fact that one of the women in his life is dying from chronic leukemia.
Cast
- Jagapati Babu as K.K. / Krishna
- Anushka Shetty as Shailu
- Bhumika Chawla as Vidya Krishna
- Arjun as Srikanth
- Baby Annie as K.K.'s daughter
- Dharmavarapu Subramanyam as Srinu Ganepudi
- Ali as Jilal Khan
- Sunil as Sunil Honda
- Venu Madhav as Peon
- Mallikarjuna Rao as RV Sukara
- M. S. Narayana as Detroit Nageswara Rao
- L. B. Sriram
- Ravi Babu as Padmakar "Padhu" Mudumba
- Banerjee as Ram Pasumarthy
- Jaya Prakash Reddy
- Sarath Babu
- Melkote as Dr. Chitti
- Raja Ravindra as Dr. Ravi
- Prabhakar as RV Sukara
- Satyam Rajesh as Servant
- Lakshmipathi as Sesha Reddy
- Kadambari Kiran
- Gundu Sudarshan
- Gautam Raju
- Chitti Babu
- Sudha as Lakshmi Durga
- Rama Prabha as Saru
- Radha Kumari
- Jhansi as Supraja
- Asha Saini as Deepthi
- Medha Bahri
- Likitha Kamini
- Madhurisen
Soundtrack
| Swagatam | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film score by | ||||
| Released | 2008 | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Length | 26:06 | |||
| Label | Aditya Music | |||
| Producer | R. P. Patnaik | |||
| R. P. Patnaik chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music composed by R. P. Patnaik. All songs are hit tracks. Music released on ADITYA Music Company.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Babooji Natho" | Kaluva Krishna Sai | R.P.Patnaik, Geetha Madhuri | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Manasa Mounama" | Veturi | Karthik, K. S. Chithra | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Kotta Kottaga" | Kula Shekar | Madhushree | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Unnannalu" | Bhaskarabhatla | Tippu | 4:17 |
| 5. | "Okarikokaru" | Kula Shekar | S. P. B. Charan, Madhusri | 5:29 |
| 6. | "Oohala Pate" | Veturi | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 26:06 | |||
Similarities with Kal Ho Na Ho
The film has got quite some similarities with the Hindi film, Kal Ho Na Ho.[3] starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. A hard working, depressed girl settled in New York, supporting her mother and a child independently. A business that's not doing well.
Reception
Critically, the film met lukewarm reception. In its generally positive review, IndiaGlitz described the film as a "sincere effort" that "may or may not appeal to everyone as it becomes a bit trite as it progresses".[4] While noting that "we cannot say it is something that we haven’t watched before", the reviewers also commented that the film "starts off in a novel way as far as a Telugu film is concerned".[4] Addressing the high expectations of the big budget film, they conclude, "To be fair to Dasarath, he does not disappoint. In the sense that it is what one would typically go to watch in a Jagapati Babu movie".[4] AndhraCafe praised the performances specifically of Bumika, "at her very best", and found the chemistry between Babu and Bumika "a treat to watch".[5] While they also felt the director exhibited moments of brilliance in the second half of the film, they panned the climax and particularly the opening, stating that "[t]he first half of a film couldn’t be more boring than this".[5] They concluded that "[o]n a whole the film is below average fare with the weak first half, dragged climax and poor music".[5] In its review, Rediff notes that Swagatam takes the "safe, oft-trodden path" but praises the acting, describing specifically the first half of the film as "laced with entertainment".[6] They predict that the film "will go down well with those liking mushy stuff".[6]
References
- IndiaGlitz. (3 January 2008) "Swagatam to release on January 24" Retrieved 16-02-08.
- The Times of India. (7 February 2008) Glam girl in troubled waters indiatimes.com Retrieved 16-02-08.
- Kal Ho Na Ho Swagatam wikipedia.com Retrieved 11-21-10.
- IndiaGlitz. (25 January 2008) Swagatham - Quintessential Jagapati Babu film indiaglitz.com Retrieved 16-02-08.
- AndhraCafe. (26 January 2008) Swagatam: Movie review andhracafe.com Retrieved 16-02-08.
- Rajamani, Radhika. (25 January 2008) Swagatham is routine rediff.com Retrieved 16-02-08.