''Aahwanam'' () is a 1997 Indian

Telugu language Telugu (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Spoken by about 96 million people (2022), Telugu is the most widely spoken member of ...

film directed by S. V. Krishna Reddy. The film stars Srikanth,

Ramya Krishna Ramya Krishnan (born 15 September 1970), also credited as Ramya Krishna, is an Indian actress predominantly known for her work in Telugu and Tamil films, along with appearances in Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films. Early life Ramya was born ...

, and Heera. The director remade the film in English in 2012 as '' Divorce Invitation''.

Plot

The film centers on Ravi Kumar, a man who believes money is the only important thing in life, even more than family ties and affection. Once he goes to a village and plays a drama which results in his marriage with Rajeswari, a traditional woman from a wealthy family. They live happily for a while until Ravi runs into Sireesha, an even wealthier unmarried businesswoman. She falls in love with him, and Ravi, focused on her money, lies to her that he is married, but recently divorced. In order to marry Sireesha, Ravi files for divorce, devastating Rajeswari. Unwilling to lose her husband due to his greed, she tries in many different ways to change his mindset. When nothing works, Rajeswari accepts the divorce, but with the condition that her divorce be held as a grand ceremony, just as her marriage. At this event, in front of a statue of Goddess Raja Rajeswari, Rajeswari lights a

yajna In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature ...

fire and holds her hair up asking Ravi to remove mangalsutra, then suddenly Ravi has a vision where it is Goddess

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

sitting in the place of Rajeswari, while threatening him with a trident (because the

mangalsutra A mangala sutra (), or tali (ISO: ''tāḷi''), is a necklace worn by married Hindu women. During a Hindu wedding, the mangalasutra is tied around the neck of the bride by the groom. The ceremony is known as the . ''Mangalasutra'' literally ...

worn by Rajeswari was coincidentally identical to the one worn by Durga). A terrified Ravi, realizes the importance and sanctity of marriage and apologizes to his wife, who presents him a garland to remarry her again.

Cast

Production

The film was inspired by the Telugu film ''

Pellinaati Pramanalu ''Pellinaati Pramanalu'' () is a 1958 Indian Telugu-language comedy drama film, produced and directed by K. V. Reddy. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Jamuna, with music composed by Ghantasala. The film was simultaneously made in Tamil a ...

'' (1959), produced and directed by

K. V. Reddy Kadiri Venkata Reddy (1 July 1912 – 15 September 1972), commonly known as K. V. Reddy, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, primarily known for his work in Telugu cinema. Renowned as one of the most influential filmma ...

Music

All lyrics were written by

Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry (born Chembolu Seetharama Sastry; 20 May 1955 – 30 November 2021) was an Indian poet and lyricist known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acquired the stage name Sirivennela after writing the ...

, except for "Minsare Minsare" which was written by

Bhuvana Chandra Bhuvana Chandra is an Indian lyricist, renowned for his work in the Telugu cinema. He served in the Indian Air Force for 18 years before turning into a lyricist. He penned lyrics for more than 2000 songs. He also wrote more than 100 stories, a no ...

. The song "Minsare Minsare" was based on Johnny Wakelin's "In Zaire". Two lines from the song "Srirasthu Subhamasthu" were incorporated by Seetharama Sastry into the song "Dharmardha Kamamulalona" in ''

Johnny Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...

'' (2003),

Reception

Griddaluru Gopala Rao of ''

Zamin Ryot ''Zamin Ryot'' is an Indian Telugu-language weekly newspaper published from Nellore. It was started by N. Venkatrama Naidu in . It has been called the longest continuously running Telugu newspaper. It is one of the notable district newspapers ...

'' gave the film a positive review praising the screenplay, music, and the performances of the cast. A critic from ''Andhra Today'' wrote, "If one glosses over the shortcomings of the climax, and enjoy the movie as an entertainer, 'Aahwanam' is a movie worth watching".

Awards

;

Nandi Awards The Nandi Awards are annual awards presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, as well as lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. The awards are named after the monolithic ...

* 1997 -

Nandi Special Jury Award The Nandi Special Jury Award is given by the state government as part of its annual Nandi Awards for Telugu films since 1981. See also * Nandi Awards * Cinema of Andhra Pradesh References {{DEFAULTSORT:Nandi Special Jury Award Speci ...

- S. V. Krishna Reddy

References

External links

* 1997 films Telugu films remade in other languages Films directed by S. V. Krishna Reddy Films scored by S. V. Krishna Reddy 1990s Telugu-language films 1997 drama films 1990s female buddy films Indian female buddy films Indian romantic comedy films {{1990s-Telugu-film-stub