A scorching morning in April 1989. The screening inside Hassan’s ‘Sahyadri’ theatre remains vivid in memory—the movie was Apoorva Sagodharargal (released as Apoorva Sahodararu in Kannada).
During that era, Indian cinema ran on a beaten path: children growing up to avenge murdered parents. Kannada films like Shankar Guru, Prathidhwani, Bangarada Gudi, and Sahodarara Savaal had explored it extensively. Yet, Apoorva Sagodharargal turned this routine revenge plot into something extraordinary. Casting veteran comedian Nagesh and charming action star Jaishankar as cold-blooded villains was an inspired gamble that worked wonders.
The real showstopper, however, was Kamal Haasan as the dwarf clown, Appu. Long before digital VFX took over, seeing Kamal walk at half his height baffled audiences everywhere. Appu executes ingeniously plotted murders, systematically framing his innocent twin brother. Balancing this gripping narrative was brilliant comedy—a bumbling detective and his worshipful assistant cracking hilarious deduction theories. It was an effortless masterclass in balancing suspense, humor, and heart.
Two scenes from the film capture Kamal’s sheer genius:
- The Heartbreak at the Registrar's Office: Misled by friends into believing the circus owner’s daughter loves him, Appu arrives in his finest clothes, beaming with hope. Instead, he discovers she only summoned him as a witness for her court marriage with someone else. Kamal’s transition from innocent, wide-eyed joy to quiet, crushing humiliation is an acting clinic.
- The Mother’s Words: When the circus owner points a gun at Appu for aiding the marriage, Appu's mother desperately tries to pacify him: "The groom is educated and handsome; had it been our deformed, dwarf Appu, your rage would make sense." Broken, Appu attempts suicide. Saved in the nick of time, he weeps: "I never minded the world mocking my size, mother... but hearing it from the woman who gave me life broke my heart." Despite subtle prosthetics, Kamal's eyes did all the heavy lifting. The film would later make history in Hindi cinema as Appu Raja.
A recent news report about lakhs of rupees found with a beggar in Mandya sparked a sudden flashback to another gem from four decades ago: Pushpaka Vimana (1987).
In this dialogue-free classic, an unemployed youth flashes a single coin to tease a beggar, only to be humbled when the beggar pulls out thick wads of cash from every seam of his rags. Later, when the beggar dies penniless on the pavement and notes scatter into the wind, a frantic crowd scrambles to grab them. Without speaking a single word, the film laid bare the absurdity of greed and the fragility of life.
Produced by Shringaram Nagaraj and shot largely at Bengaluru’s Windsor Manor, Pushpaka Vimana earned censor clearance as a Kannada film. Driven by L. Vaidyanathan’s evocative score, it remains visual poetry: the comic mishaps of a hitman using an ice knife , Amala’s radiant charm, and that poignant final shot where the lover’s address slips into a drain—leaving a sting in every viewer’s eye.
The visionary architect behind both classics was the maestro Singeetam Srinivasa Rao.
Mentored by legendary filmmaker K. V. Reddy (Maya Bazaar, Pathala Bhairavi), Singeetam’s craftsmanship was unmatched. While Pattabhirama Reddy was credited as director for Samskara—Kannada’s first Golden Lotus winner—it was Singeetam working behind the scenes who held the technical reins.
His contributions to Kannada cinema are legendary: Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma, Eradu Nakshatragalu, Haalu Jenu, Ananda Bhairavi, and the classic suspense thriller Samyuktha. Alongside Kamal Haasan, he delivered landmark cinema like Sommokadidi Sokokadidi, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, and Pushpaka Vimana. Even in his twilight years, his creative fire burned bright with projects like Singeetam, a musical designed entirely around wildlife conservation.
In an industry often crowded with loud dialogue, Singeetam Srinivasa Rao conquered hearts through the raw power of emotion, spectacle, and pure silence. A true visionary of Indian cinema whose craft will live forever.