Chomana Dudi ( kn, ಚೋಮನ ದುಡಿ, ''Choma's Drum'') is a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

in the

Kannada language Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native ...

. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by

Shivaram Karanth Kota Shivaram Karanth (10 October 1902 – 9 December 1997), also abbreviated as K. Shivaram Karanth, was an Indian polymath, who was a novelist in Kannada language, playwright and an ecological conservationist. Ramachandra Guha called him th ...

. The film was released in the year 1975 and won the ''Swarna Kamal'', India's National Award for the best film.

Plot

Choma is an untouchable bonded-labourer in a village who is working along with his family for a landlord, as he belongs to a backward class.Shampa Banerjee, Anil Srivastava (1988), p65 Due to his social status, he is not allowed to till his own land, something that he desires most. Though he managed to rear a pair of bullocks that he found straying in the forest, he cannot use them to till the land. He comes in contact of Christian missionaries who try to convert him giving him the lure of the land, but Choma does not want to let go of his faith. He releases the fury that fate has beset on him, by beating his drum. He has four sons and a daughter; two of his elder sons work in a distant coffee estate trying to pay off the debt. One of the sons dies of cholera and the other one converts to Christianity by marrying a Christian girl. His daughter, Belli works in the plantation and falls for the charm of Manvela, the estate-owner's writer. She is raped by the estate owner, who then writes off Choma's debt. She returns to Choma's home telling him of the reality. His youngest son drowns in a river, with nobody coming to save him because of him being an untouchable. He then finds his daughter in an compromising position with Manvela. With anger, he beats her and kicks her out of the house. To defy his fate, he starts tilling a piece of land and then chases off his bullock into the forest. In the climax, Choma shuts himself in his house and starts playing the drum till he dies.

Awards

National Film Award for Best Feature Film The National Award for Best Feature Film is one of the categories in the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. It is one of se ...

(1976) *

National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...

- M. V. Vasudeva Rao (1976) * National Film Award for Best Story – K Shivaram Karanth ;Karnataka State Film Awards 1975-76 * First Best Film * Best Actor – M V Vasudev Rao * Best Supporting Actress – Padma Kumata * Best Story Writer – Shivaram Karanth * Best Screenplay – Shivaram Karanth * Best Sound Recording – Krishnamurthy

Notes

References

External links

* {{NationalFilmAwardBestFeatureFilm 1970s Kannada-language films 1975 films Films featuring a Best Actor National Award-winning performance Best Feature Film National Film Award winners Films based on Indian novels Films whose writer won the Best Story National Film Award Films scored by B. V. Karanth