Sati Sulochana was released at Paramount Cinema, near Doddanna Hall in the City Market, where the present Parimala and Pradeep theatres are screening films, on March 3, 1934.

On March 3, in 2022, the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai declared the day Vishwa Kannada Cinema Dina, or World Kannada Cinema Day, adding that the international film festival will now be held on the same date every year. The reason Bommai made the announcement was “exactly 88 years ago, on March 3, 1934, the first Kannada talkie film Sati Sulochana was released”.As Bommai...

On March 3, in 2022, the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai declared the day Vishwa Kannada Cinema Dina, or World Kannada Cinema Day, adding that the international film festival will now be held on the same date every year. The reason Bommai made the announcement was “exactly 88 years ago, on March 3, 1934, the first Kannada talkie film Sati Sulochana was released”.

As Bommai lost power, his dream of honouring March 3 fizzled out, and no preparations are underway to mark 90 years of Kannada cinema. But as Kannada cinema’s first talkie is silently on its way to mark 9 decades of existence, some are busy tracing the fascinating story of the movie’s making.

The loss of Kannada cinema

The silence around the completion of 90 years of Kannada cinema is ironic given the story of evolution of what was once one of India’s most vibrant regional film industries. Kannada cinema, which emerged in the 1930s, initially drew inspiration from mythological and historical narratives with fictional twists, reflecting the socio-cultural fabric of Karnataka.

A still from Vasantasena.

A still from Vasantasena.

Consider for example the 1931 film Vasantasena, an adaptation of a ten-act Sanskrit play — Mricchakatika, which is replete with comedy, romance laced on a political subplot, written by playwright Shudraka, starring renowned artist Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, the first silent film of Kannada cinema.

The story is in set the ancient city of Ujjayini during the reign of King Pālaka, near the end of the Pradyota dynasty that made up the first quarter of the fifth century BCE. The story revolves around a noble but impoverished young Brahmin, who falls in love with a wealthy courtesan, Vasantasena. Despite their mutual affection, the couple’s love is threatened when Samsthanaka, a vulgar courtier, begins to aggressively pursue Vasantasena.

The political subplot details the overthrow of the city’s despotic ruler by a shepherd even as love, romance and comedy run along the story.

Despite being such an iconic film, Kannada cinema had all but lost it.

It was Suchitra Film Society that salvaged and made efforts to conserve Vasanthasena directed by Ramayyar Shirur, starring Lakshmi Bai, Subbaiah Naidu, and R Nagendra Rao. It was HN Narahari Rao and his friends who located the film lying in tatters in a garage. Suchitra Film Society got the prints cleaned and Kuppuswamy Naidu of Chamundeshwari Studios agreed to screen it in the studio. The screening was attended by R Nagendra Rao, considered to a father figure of Kannada theatre and film society.

Retracing the making of Sati Sulochana

Meanwhile, Sati Sulochana directed and produced by Chamanlal Doongaji and Shah Bhurmal Chmanlalji, who jointly owned South India Movietone. Renowned writer of the time, Bellave Narahari Shastry, penned the screenplay based on the epic Ramayana of Valmiki. Actors including Subbaiah Naidu, R Nagendra Rao, Tripurambha and YV Rao have essayed various characters in this first talkie film. Sati Sulochana was released at Paramount Cinema, near Doddanna Hall in the City Market, where the present Parimala and Pradeep theatres are screening films.

A still from Sati Sulochana.

A still from Sati Sulochana.

The history of Sati Sulochana is long and layered. The film, shot in Chatrapathi Studio Kolhapur, was based on Telugu play Indrajitu Vadha.

The film is a retelling of the Ramayana from the perspective of Sulochana, the daughter-in-law of Ravan. The film has thrilling shots of Hanuman carrying Sanjeevini (medicinal plant believed to have magical powers) mountain to treat injured Lakshman, the great Ram-Ravan battle, the creation of Mayarath (magic chariot) and Maya Sita (illusory Sita). The film had trick and magic shots, and songs were recorded on the sets. The music was played by a band sitting on a platform at the sets. 8 RMP (rotational speed per minute) gramophone plates of Sati Sulochana were imported from Columbia Company.

The film was made with an investment of Rs 40,000 at that time and was shot for two months in natural sunlight and with man-made reflectors. It was shot with two cameras for the war scenes. The length of the film is 13,290 feet and running time is 173 minutes. Besides leg harmonium, clarinet was also used in the trolley for shooting the film.

R Nagendra Rao, who worked with Ardeshir Irani, maker of the first Hindi talkie Alam Ara (1931) essayed the role of Ravan in the talkie.

The making of Sati Sulochana is so interesting that it demands a documentary putting together all the available archival material or it deserves to be a feature film such as Harishchandra Factory, which captures the making of the first Indian film Raja Harishchandra directed by Dada Saheb Phalke in 1913.

Interestingly, attempts are being made to reconstruct Sati Sulochana with film and literary writers trying to piece together archival material unearthed on the film over the past few years. Until recently it was believed that Sati Sulochana has only 18 songs. Interestingly, the gramophone record jacket that was unearthed from the private archive of noted writer Dr Vijaya Subbaraj, whose father Seetharam worked with South India Movietone, has unearthed a different story. The gramophone record jacket says it has 30 songs, which is a record of sorts. Belying the notion that the first four talkie film of Kannada had no record of soundtracks, the gramophone record testifies the presence of a recorded soundtrack, and that harmonium was used for the score.

Dr. Vijaya Subbaraj handed over the repository of celluloid archival material including screenplay of some of the scenes of Sati Sulochana, lyrics of the songs, articles, poster, photographs, newspaper reports and brochures to film writer NS Sridharamurthy. He in turn is now busy putting together pieces of evidence to reconstruct the history of Sati Sulochana released 90 years ago.

“My paternal uncle CT Seshachalam joined Gubbi Company when he was ten years old. He essayed the role of Narada in Sati Sulochana. Sheshachalam’s daughter, who got these archival materials of the film, handed them over to me to help him rewrite the history of first talkie of Kannada cinema,” Sridharamurthy told The Federal.

“The sad thing is Vijaya Subbaraj handed over a gramophone jacket, but not gramophone records or celluloid reels of the film. I even checked with the family of Doongaji. But the family members have nothing pertaining to Sati Sulochana. I think it is lost. Even the 16 photographs available with me now were handed over by Girija Lokesh, daughter-in-law of Subbaiah Naidu, who has acted in Sati Sulochana,” he said.

8 RMP (rotational speed per minute) gramophone plates of Sati Sulochana were imported from Columbia Company. 

8 RMP (rotational speed per minute) gramophone plates of Sati Sulochana were imported from Columbia Company. 

Sridharamurthy tried to procure one and the only gramophone record available with RN Jayagopal collection. “We are trying to procure it. But to play that record we need an 8 RPM needle, which is presently not available. I am doing my level best to reconstruct the making of Sati Sulochana with the material available. The task is not easy but we are determined to do it,” says Sridhara Murthy.

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