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Samhaara
Samhaara
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Samhaara
Theatrical Poster
Directed byGuru Deshpande
Screenplay byGuru Deshpande
Story byRohin Venkatesan
Based onAdhe Kangal
by Rohin Venkatesan
Produced byA. Venkatesh
R. Sundar Kamaraj
StarringChiranjeevi Sarja
Hariprriya
Kavya Shetty
Bala Rajwadi
CinematographyJagadish Wali
Edited byK. M. Prakash
Music byRavi Basrur
Production
company
Manu Enterprises
Distributed byJayanna Films
Release date
  • 9 February 2018 (2018-02-09)[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageKannada

Samhaara (transl. Vanquishing) is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language romantic action thriller film directed by Guru Deshpande.[2] It stars Chiranjeevi Sarja, Hariprriya, Kavya Shetty, Bala Rajwadi and Chikkanna.[3] The score and soundtrack for the film is by Ravi Basrur and the cinematography is by Jagadish Wali. The film is a remake of Tamil film Adhe Kangal (2017) directed by Rohin Venkatesan.

Launched on 29 April 2017, the principal photography of the film began in May 2017. The film's summary was announced to be a revenge drama where Sarja plays two different roles, one of which is a born-blind chef who owns a restaurant.[4] The film was shot majorly in Mangaluru and nearby coastal regions.

Plot

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Srishaila is a well-known blind chef and the owner of a popular restaurant in Bangalore. One night, Nandini visits his restaurant asking for leftover food for the homeless. Srishaila helps her and eventually falls in love with her daily visits. Meanwhile, Srishalia's close friend, Janaki approaches his parents and reveals her intentions of marrying Srishaila, which they accept. Srishaila decides to propose to Nandini in his restaurant, but he observes that she is in tears. She tells him that henchmen were pressing for their money, and her father had promised to return the money in three days. Srishaila promises to help out from his own savings. On the same night, Srishaila is met with an accident and is hospitalized, during which his vision is restored. He is treated for three weeks, and the hospital fee is paid out of his savings. Srishaila feels guilty and is disappointed for not helping out Nandini. When he is discharged, he is unable to locate her. When his family presses him to marry Janaki, he agrees as he also likes her from his childhood days.

Several days later, an old man walks into the restaurant telling how his daughter Nandini has been kidnapped as they were unable to return the money. Srishaila calms him down and hatches a plan to hand over his wedding jewelry, but is conned of the jewels by the kidnapper. Later, Srishaila gets to know that Nandini's father is found dead at Kanyakumari in a road accident. Srishaila decides to visit Kaniyakumari himself to get clarity about Nandini's family. He works with a constable Raja Huli, faking his identity, as a journalist investigating the road accidents where the victim remains unidentified. They decide to find the whereabouts of the old man, and they gather several clues on his hotel residence and phone number. These clues lead them to investigate the car that was involved in the accident and track down its owner as a blind man. After listening to his story, they get hold of photos of his girlfriend Anjali, and with Janaki's help, they identify her as Nandini.

They find out that the girl's real name is actually Chithrangada, a con artist who selects only blind men. She makes the blind men fall for her and then presents a story with a need for money, which the blind men give. Srishaila and Raja Huli find the commonality and pinpoint a list of potential targets. Janaki, with the help of her journalist associates, finds out the plan to con another blind man in Udupi. They immediately travel to Udupi and catch Chithrangada after several twists in the plot. The film ends with Raja Huli receiving commemorations from people for his efforts in nabbing Chithrangada, whereas Srishaila and Janaki happily get married.

Cast

[edit]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Samhaara
Soundtrack album by
Released2018
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length19:38
LanguageKannada
LabelJhankar Music
ProducerRavi Basrur
Ravi Basrur chronology
Anjani Putra
(2017)
Samhaara
(2018)
Bhootayyana Mommaga Ayyu
(2018)

The film's background score and the soundtracks are composed by Ravi Basrur. The music rights were acquired by Jhankar Music.[5]

Tracklist
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Yenachariyu"Jayanth KaikiniPuneeth Rajkumar4:04
2."Be My Love"Chethan KumarSupriya Lohith3:57
3."Jeeva Hodara"Chethan KumarVijay Prakash3:58
4."Raakshasi"Chethan KumarRaghu Dixit3:38
5."Rajahuli - Theme"Dhananjay DidagRavi Basrur1:22
6."Samhaara"Chethan KumarVijay Prakash1:39

Release

[edit]

The film released on 9 February 2018.

Critical reception

[edit]

Sunayana Suresh from The Times of India give 3 stars out of 5 and says This film isn't the out and out commercial film, but it has an interesting screenplay to ensure one gets a hatke watch this weekend. Go for it, you will be entertained.[6] A Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express scored the film at 3 out of 5 stars and wrote Kavya Shetty too does a neat job and goes along with the story. But Chikkanna, who shares a good chemistry with Chiranjeevi, is the highlight. His presence and dialogue delivery makes the film lighter as it progresses.[7] Shyamprasad S of Bangalore Mirror gave the film a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote "It has the substance but lacks a bit on the style front. However Samhaara makes for a good entertaining watch"[8]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Samhaara (transl. Vanquishing) is a Indian Kannada-language romantic action directed by Guru Deshpande. It stars , , , and , with Sarja playing dual roles. The is a of the 2017 Tamil Adhe Kangal. It was produced by A. Venkatesh and M. N. Lakshmisha under the banner of V Movie Makers and Lakshmisha Creations, with music composed by . Samhaara was released on 9 .

Background and development

Premise and remake adaptation

Samhaara is an official of the 2017 Tamil film Adhe Kangal, directed by and starring as a visually impaired chef alongside Janani Iyer and . The original film explores themes of romance, , and mystery through a that evolves into a thriller narrative. The remake rights for Adhe Kangal were acquired by producers A. Venkatesh and R. Sundar Kamaraj, who developed the project under their production banner. The film was officially announced on April 29, 2017, as a romantic action thriller, with commencing shortly thereafter. Distribution was handled by Jayanna Films, aligning with the producers' vision to bring the story to audiences. Directed by Guru Deshpande, Samhaara features a that retains the core essence of the source material while incorporating extensions of approximately 20 minutes to enhance pacing and commercial appeal for regional viewers. Key adaptations include cultural localization to resonate with sensibilities, an amplified focus on dynamics, and the title Samhaara, translating to "vanquishing," which underscores the central revenge motif. portrays the blind protagonist in this adapted narrative.

Casting announcements

The lead role of Srishaila, a blind chef and restaurant owner, was announced for during the film's launch on April 29, 2017. Sarja underwent training to portray a visually impaired , focusing on heightened senses like smell and sound for fight sequences, marking a novel challenge in . He also prepared by refining body language to convincingly depict blindness, a first for his career. The female leads were announced in May 2017, with cast as , a character featuring negative shades in her first such role. was selected as Janaki, a serving as a supporting romantic interest. Supporting cast announcements followed the start of principal photography in May 2017, including Bala Rajwadi as Mama and in the role of PC Raja Huli, a strict cop that deviated from his usual comedic . These additions were revealed in November 2017. Director Guru Deshpande emphasized an to enhance the thriller's dynamics, selecting actors for fresh roles like Hariprriya's and Chikkanna's serious cop to balance mystery and . Challenges included Sarja's dual roles—one blind and one sighted—requiring intensive physical preparation for action amid .

Production

Filming locations and schedule

Principal photography for Samhaara commenced in May 2017, following the film's official launch on April 29, 2017. Shooting wrapped up by late 2017, allowing post-production to extend into early 2018 ahead of its February 9, 2018 release. The production utilized multiple locations across , , with major portions filmed in Mangaluru and its coastal surroundings to capture thriller and action sequences. Additional shooting occurred in Mysuru for scenes involving the protagonist's restaurant and chef-related activities, and in Bengaluru for urban settings that supported the narrative's suspenseful elements. Cinematographer J.S. Wali handled the visual style, focusing on dynamic framing for action sequences and innovative techniques to portray the lead character's blindness, emphasizing sensory cues like sound and smell during fight scenes. Production faced logistical challenges, including intense heat in Mangaluru during May shoots, which complicated outdoor sequences involving chases and town navigation. The team also navigated the technical demands of depicting a visually impaired , relying on practical effects and preparation to maintain realism without relying heavily on digital enhancements.

Music composition

Ravi Basrur was announced as the composer for Samhaara in 2017, bringing his expertise in crafting immersive scores to the project. His involvement focused on creating character-driven tracks that blend elements of romance, thriller, and action, ensuring the music seamlessly integrates with the film's narrative. The production process emphasized situational songs tailored to the emotional arcs of the characters, particularly the blind protagonist portrayed by . Basrur selected voices like that of for tracks such as "Yenachariyu" to convey profound and , reflecting the protagonist's inner world without relying on visual cues. He noted, “Chiru’s character is blind, but there is so much that he carries around that we needed a voice that embodies that and brings a certain in as well.” The soundtrack, released under Jhankar Music, comprises six tracks that Basrur described as embodying the film's characters, counting it among his best works. A key example is "Yenachariyu," a romantic number sung by with a duration of 4:04. The audio launch event took place on November 18, 2017, where actor released the CD and praised Basrur's background score for its Hollywood-level intensity.

Plot

Samhaara is a of the 2017 Tamil film Adhe Kangal. The film centers on Shrishail (), a visually impaired chef who runs a successful in Mysuru using his heightened senses of smell and . He falls in love with (), a compassionate woman who visits his to distribute food to the homeless and is struggling with her father's debts. When Nandini asks for financial help, Shrishail agrees, but an accident in the process restores his vision while Nandini vanishes. Shrishail's parents arrange his marriage to his childhood friend Janaki (Kavya Shetty). Unwilling to move on, Shrishail travels to Mangaluru in search of Nandini, where he becomes entangled in a web of deception, crime, and revenge. With assistance from the quirky constable Raja Huli (Chikkanna), Shrishail uncovers Nandini's true identity as Chithrangada, a con artist preying on blind men, and confronts the group behind the scams, leading to a climactic resolution. Ultimately, Shrishail finds closure and marries Janaki.

Cast

ActorRole
Srishaila
Nandini / Chithrangada
Janaki
PC Raja Huli

Release

Theatrical distribution

Samhaara was released theatrically across on February 9, 2018. The film received a U/A certification from the on January 16, 2018, and features a runtime of 2 hours and 22 minutes. Special screenings took place in key theaters in , including Thriveni Hall in Bengaluru, marking the regional rollout. Marketing efforts emphasized the film's status as a Kannada remake of the Tamil thriller Adhe Kangal, generating buzz through promotional materials highlighting its romantic action elements. The official trailer launched on on February 3, 2018, via Anand Audio, amassing views ahead of the release.

Home media and streaming

Following its theatrical release on February 9, , Samhaara became accessible for digital streaming on the Sun NXT platform starting November 13, 2020, where the original version remains available in HD for subscribers across and select international regions. As of November 2025, it is also available for free streaming with ads on JioHotstar. A Hindi-dubbed version was uploaded to channels in September 2024, providing free access to the full film for Hindi-speaking audiences. No major international theatrical re-releases or festival screenings have been documented for the film post its initial run.

Reception

Critical response

Samhaara received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its engaging thriller elements and performances while critiquing some narrative excesses. The Times of India awarded it 3 out of 5 stars, commending the screenplay for providing entertainment despite a shaky start and highlighting the intriguing twists in the second half. The New Indian Express gave it a similar 3-star rating, noting that the film "makes for a watchable thriller" with strong direction and Chikkanna's standout performance that lightens the proceedings through his chemistry with Chiranjeevi Sarja. Bangalore Mirror rated it 3.5 out of 5, appreciating the twists and turns that contribute to an entertaining watch. Critics lauded director Guru Deshpande for staying true to the original Tamil film Adhe Kangal, effectively adapting its core thriller structure with well-executed suspense and action sequences. The background score and were also highlighted for enhancing the atmosphere, particularly in the film's latter portions. However, some reviews pointed to melodramatic excesses and a predictable romance as weaknesses that dilute the tension. noted that while the twists are engaging, they feel somewhat predictable, and the screenplay could have been tighter to avoid narrative lulls. Aggregate user scores on stand at 6.3 out of 10 based on 75 ratings, aligning with the critics' generally positive but tempered reception of the film's thriller merits.

Audience and commercial performance

Audience reception to Samhaara was generally positive, with viewers appreciating its value as a thriller and the performances, particularly Chiranjeevi Sarja's portrayal of the blind protagonist. On , the film holds a 6.3 out of 10 rating based on 75 user votes, with fans highlighting Sarja's "superb" acting and his choice of creative roles. Similarly, user ratings on averaged 3.0 out of 5, reflecting enjoyment of the narrative's novelty and the chemistry between Sarja and co-star . NETTV4U reported an audience score of 3.53 out of 5, with comments praising the engaging second half, strong screenplay, and Haripriya's standout performance. Commercially, Samhaara performed reasonably well in the Kannada circuit, particularly in , where it achieved moderate success as a regional thriller without breaking into the top-grossing films of 2018. The film, a of the Tamil Adhe Kangal, drew audiences through its content-driven story and action elements, contributing to a mid-level outcome in a year dominated by blockbusters like KGF: Chapter 1. Specific earnings figures are not publicly detailed, but its theatrical run supported a television shortly after release, indicating solid regional appeal. In the long term, Samhaara has maintained a presence through streaming availability on platforms like and , allowing for re-watches and introducing the film to newer audiences. Fan discussions often revisit Sarja's role in light of his untimely death in 2020, preserving the movie's legacy within as one of his notable works.

References

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