Apthamitra
A psychological horror remake of Manichithrathazhu with plot changes.
Apthamitra (meaning "close friend") is a 2004 Kannada-language psychological horror film directed and written by P. Vasu, with production by Dwarakish. The lead cast includes Vishnuvardhan, Soundarya, and Ramesh, while Prema, Avinash, and Dwarakish appear in supporting roles. It was Soundarya's final Kannada film to be released after her death on 17 April 2004. The movie is a remake of the Malayalam film *Manichithrathazhu*, though it incorporates several plot alterations.
Released on 27 August 2004, *Apthamitra* ran for a full year in theaters across Karnataka. At the time, it became the highest-grossing Kannada film ever and was declared an industry hit. The changes made to the original story were later carried over into the 2005 Tamil film *Chandramukhi*. A sequel, *Aptharakshaka*, followed in 2010.
The plot follows Ramesh and his wife Ganga, who move into an ancient palace in Mysore against the wishes of his uncle Shivananda. Shivananda agrees to live there with his daughters Vani and Hema, but only if no one opens a locked, sealed room on the first floor. The caretaker Rangajja and his granddaughter Sowmya also live on the property. The family soon learns the palace once belonged to Raja Vijaya Rajendra Bahaddur, who was in love with a court dancer named Nagavalli. Nagavalli, however, loved another dancer, Ramanatha. On a Durgashtami day, the Raja discovered their affair, beheaded Ramanatha, and burned Nagavalli alive. Before dying, Nagavalli swore she would burn the Raja alive on the same festival day.
Strange events begin to occur, and Sowmya is often found near the incidents. Ramesh calls his psychiatrist friend Vijay to investigate. Shivananda disapproves of Vijay’s methods. Meanwhile, Vani falls in love with Mahadev, an orphan dance teacher living in the house behind the palace. Vijay learns of this and gets Shivananda’s approval for their marriage. While the family is away to finalize the wedding, Ganga opens the sealed room using a key from Sowmya. Attempts are made on Ramesh’s life, but Vijay foils them. Vani is also attacked. Shivananda brings in an exorcist, Acharya Ramachandra Shastri, to perform a peace ritual. On the eve of the engagement, Ganga accuses Mahadev of molesting her, but both Mahadev and Vijay deny it. Ramesh grows angry with Vijay, and Acharya insists Vijay reveal the truth.
Vijay explains that Ganga has developed a split p
- release_date
- 27 August 2004
- language
- Kannada
- genre
- Psychological horror
- director
- P. Vasu
- producer
- Dwarakish
- lead_actors
- Vishnuvardhan, Soundarya, Ramesh
- box_office_status
- Industry hit, highest-grossing Kannada movie at that time
Lore & Background
The film follows Ramesh and Ganga, a married couple who move into an ancient palace in Mysore against the wishes of Ramesh's uncle Shivananda. Shivananda agrees to live there on condition that a locked first-floor room remains unvisited. Strange events occur, and Ramesh calls his psychiatrist friend Vijay to investigate. The story involves a court dancer Nagavalli, who was burned alive by Raja Vijaya Rajendra Bahaddur after discovering her affair with Ramanatha. Nagavalli vowed revenge on the same Durgashtami day.
Vijay discovers that Ganga, who suffers from split personality disorder, has developed an alternate personality of Nagavalli after reading Nagavalli's diary. This personality attempts to kill Ramesh and Vani, believing Mahadev (Vani's fiancé) is Ramanatha. The climax occurs on Durgashtami, where the family stages a ritual to convince Nagavalli's personality that Raja is dead, allowing Ganga to be cured. The film ran for 365 days in theaters across Karnataka and was the highest-grossing Kannada movie at that time.
Reader's Guide
Apthamitra holds significance as a landmark Kannada film that achieved industry-hit status and set box office records. Its plot changes from the original Manichithrathazhu were later retained in the Tamil remake Chandramukhi (2005). The film marked Soundarya's final Kannada appearance, released posthumously after her death in April 2004. It won five Filmfare Awards South, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Music Director. The soundtrack by Gurukiran was well received, and the chorus of 'Raa Raa' was reused in Chandramukhi. The film's dialogues, such as 'Nannu vaadi to velladaniki vadalava?' and 'Ide, illeno samasye ide,' became popular. It was followed by a sequel, Aptharakshaka (2010).
Did You Know?
- Apthamitra is a remake of the Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu with some plot changes.
- It was Soundarya's posthumous Kannada film, released after her death on 17 April 2004.
- The film ran for 365 days in theaters across Karnataka and was the highest-grossing Kannada movie at that time.
- The chorus of 'Raa Raa' from the soundtrack was reused in the Tamil film Chandramukhi (2005) after Rajinikanth's insistence.
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