Naanu Avanalla...Avalu
Naanu Avanalla...Avalu | ||
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Kannada | ನಾನು ಅವನಲ್ಲ... ಅವಳು | |
Directed by | Anoop Seelin | |
Production company | RG Pictures | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes | |
Country | India | |
Language | Kannada |
Naanu Avanalla...Avalu (transl. I am not a he... I am a she) is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language film directed by B. S. Lingadevaru, based on Living Smile Vidya's autobiographical work I am Vidya.[1] Based on the life of Living Smile Vidya, a transgender woman, the film revolves around her life as she, growing up as a boy, cherishes her feminine characteristics and begins living as a woman and depicts the life of the transgender community in Indian society. Sanchari Vijay plays the role of Vidya, with Sumithra, Kunal Punekar and Sundar featuring in supporting roles.
Naanu Avanalla...Avalu premiered at the 62nd National Film Festival in May 2015 and won two awards at the 62nd National Film Awards — Best Actor (Vijay) and Best Make-up Artist (Raju, Nagaraj).[2] Before its theatrical release in India on 25 September 2015, the film premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2015.[3]
Plot
Naanu Avanalla...Avalu is a tribute to everyone whose everyday life is a struggle. The film focuses on a transgender woman, who is destined to have a life of neglect and disappointment.
On a regular patrol in Bangalore, the night duty police catches few transgender prostitutes who are waiting for customers. An innocent transgender person by the name of Vidhya, who was walking towards her home, is also caught. The inspector asks Vidhya about why she is living this life. Then the movie switches to a boy called Madesha.
Madesha is a 10-year-old boy lives in a small village. He exhibits feminine behaviors, and some of his schoolmates bully him. At home, his parents and elder sister support him and want him to study well and become a respected person in the society. One day the enthusiastic Madesha wears his sister's costumes and acts girlish. His father sees him and advises him to be like a man and not play a female role even in dramas. After few years, his sister gets married and moves to Bangalore. Some villagers learn of Madesha's girl-like behavior and complain to his father to take him to a doctor or a priest. Meanwhile, Madesha fails in his college exams and develops a crush on his friend Govinda who is a boy. Madesha's father scolds him for his failure in education and highlights his girl-like behavior. Madesha leaves the village and moves to Bangalore to live with his sister's family.
He gets a job in Bangalore and completes his Master of Arts through evening college. He finds it difficult to live like a man and is often bullied by people in Bangalore for his girlish behaviour. One day he befriends someone at the bus stop who is also feminine, who takes Madesha to his house.
Madesha shows total uneasiness living as a man and wishes to become a woman. He meets the head of the transgender community, Danamma, and asks for her help. Danamma send Madesha to Pune to be with her associate Nani; there, Madesha transforms and is renamed Vidhya.
Vidhya is forced to beg to earn her livelihood. She takes Nirvana (sexual reassignment surgery). Vidhya rejects prostitution and wishes to work, but employers discriminate against transgender people. One day she is beaten up and thrown out of a train while begging. Vidhya moves back to her native village, but Vidhya's sister and parents are stunned to see her in the new look and reject her. They force her to come back as Madesha, but Vidhya rejects that by stating she wants to live and die as a girl. She says goodbye to them and leaves.
The movie switches to the present. The police inspector, after hearing Vidhya's/Madesha's story, assures her a job of an assistant to his friend who is a film director. The movie ends with real pictures of Vidhya who becomes successful and campaigns for rights of transgender people.
Cast
- Sanchari Vijay as Madesha / Vidya
- Sumithra
- Kunal Punekar
- Sundar
- Maniyamma
- Bhoopal H. M.
- Shivshankar Kadadevarmath
- Shailashree S. T.
- Savitha K. Avarasang
- Aravind Kuplikar
Soundtrack
Naanu Avanalla...Avalu | |
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Feature film soundtrack |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Ganga Nadi Mindaythu" | Arasu Anthare | Anoop Seelin , Arasu Anthare | |
2. | "Gubbacchi Kannige" | Arasu Anthare | Anoop Seelin | |
3. | "Vaare Vaare" | Arasu Anthare | Anoop Seelin |
Marketing
Upon receiving critical acclaim winning two
Subsequently, Naanu Avanalla...Avalu received support from actors
Awards
Award | Date of ceremony[a] | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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National Film Awards | 3 May 2015 | Best Actor | Sanchari Vijay | Won | |
Best Make-up Artist | Raju, Nagaraj | Won | |||
Karnataka State Film Awards | 2015 | Best Actor | Sanchari Vijay | Won | |
Best Story | Living Smile Vidya | Won | |||
Bengaluru International Film Festival | February 2016 | Second Best Kannada Film | B. S. Lingadevaru | Won | [7] |
Filmfare Awards South | 18 June 2016 | Best Actor | Sanchari Vijay | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actor | Sundar | Nominated | |||
Critics Award for Best Actor | Sanchari Vijay | Won |
It was screened in the following film festivals:
- Indian select, KIFF - Kolkata, 2015
- Indian cinema section, IFFK - 2015, Kerala
- Indian Panorama, CIFF - 2016, Chennai
- Indian cinema, PIFF - 2016, Pune
- IFFM-2015, Melbourne, Australia
- London Indian film festival, 2016
See also
- LGBT history of India
Notes
- ^ Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.
References
- ^ Khajane, Muralidhara (25 March 2015). "End of a 27-year drought for Best Actor Award". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ "62nd National Film Awards: List of Winners". NDTV. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ Prasad S., Shyam (22 September 2015). "Film release: Overseas first, city next". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Vijay bags National Award for Best Actor". timesofindia. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ a b Sharadhaa, A. (23 September 2015). "A Film Lauded by Outsiders Turned Away at Home". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ Khajane, Muralidhara (24 September 2015). "Film on transgenders set to hit multiplex screens in State". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Royal farewell as film festival ends on a high". The Hindu. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
External links
- Naanu Avanalla...Avalu at IMDb