''Aditya 369'' is a 1991 Indian

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

-language

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...

written and directed by

Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (born 21 September 1931) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of India's most versatile and innovative filmmakers. He has directed around sixty films across ...

. The film stars

Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), also known as Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, film producer, politician and philanthropist known for his works in Telugu cinema. Balakrishna is an elected member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative A ...

and

Mohini Mohini (Sanskrit: मोहिनी, ') is the Hindu goddess of enchantment. She is the only female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. She is portrayed as a ''femme fatale'', an enchantress, who maddens lovers and demons, sometimes leading them ...

, with

Amrish Puri Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Cinema of India, Indian cinema and Theatre of India, theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himsel ...

Tinnu Anand Tinu Anand (born Virender Raj Anand) is an Indian actor, director, writer and producer in Hindi cinema and a few Telugu and Tamil films. Personal life He is the son of veteran writer Inder Raj Anand, brother of producer Bittu Anand and unc ...

Suthi Velu Kurumaddali Lakshmi Narasimha Rao (7 August 1947 – 16 September 2012), better known by his stage name Suthi Velu, was an Indian actor and comedian known for his works in Telugu cinema. He has acted in more than 200 films, and won four state ...

, Master Tarun, Chandra Mohan, and

Silk Smitha Vadlapati Vijayalakshmi (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked mainly in Tamil (over 200 films)and Telugu (over 100 films) cinema, in addition to some K ...

in supporting roles. The music for the film was composed by

Ilayaraja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil in addition to Telugu, M ...

, and the dialogues were written by

Jandhyala Jandhyala Subrahmanya Sastry (14 January 1951 – 19 June 2001), known mononymously as Jandhyala, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright known for his work in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre, theatre. Popularly referred to a ...

. Produced by S. Anitha Krishna under the Sridevi Movies banner, it was presented by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. ''Aditya 369'' received critical acclaim and won two state

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 ...

. ''Aditya 369'' is the first

time-travel Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a device known a ...

film in Indian cinema * * * * and is regarded as an influential work in

Indian science fiction Bengali science fiction ( ''Bangla Bigyan Kalpakahini'') is a part of Bengali literature containing science fiction elements. It is called ''Kalpabigyan'' ( ), or stories of imaginative science, in Bengali literature. The term was first coine ...

. * * * * The film blends elements of history and science fiction, with a storyline centered around a time machine, which transports passengers to different time periods, including 1526 CE and a

post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...

future in 2504 CE. It explores themes such as technology, democracy, and warfare. The film was inspired by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is an 1895 dystopian post-apocalyptic science fiction novella by H. G. Wells about a Victorian scientist known as the Time Traveller who travels to the year 802,701. The work is generally credited with the popularizati ...

'' (1895), which director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao read in college. The historical segments are set during the reign of

Vijayanagara emperor The Vijayanagara Empire (1336–1646) was the most prominent medieval Hindu empire of southern India. It was established on the banks of Tungabhadra River in present-day Karnataka and consisted of parts or all of the modern states of Karnataka ...

Sri Krishnadevaraya (), while the futuristic elements were researched by the director at the American Library in

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

. The film was made on a budget of approximately ₹1.60

crore Crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes the quantity ten million (107) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. In many international contexts, the decimal quantity is formatted as 10,000,000, but when used in the context of the India ...

and took about 110 days to shoot. Three cinematographers worked on the film, each handling different time periods. P. C. Sreeram shot the present-day scenes but had to leave due to health issues. V. S. R. Swamy took over the historical scenes, and Kabir Lal filmed the futuristic ones. The film was also dubbed in Hindi as ''Mission 369'' and Tamil as ''Apoorva Sakthi 369''.

Plot

The film begins in 1991 with Professor Ramdas, a scientist, working on a time machine named ''Aditya 369''. Meanwhile, Raja Varma, a notorious art thief, targets the 16th-century diamond from the

Vijayanagara Empire The Vijayanagara Empire, also known as the Karnata Kingdom, was a late medieval Hinduism, Hindu empire that ruled much of southern India. It was established in 1336 by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty, belongi ...

housed at the

Salar Jung Museum The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River, India, Musi River in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the List of museums in India, notable National Museums of India. ...

. During a school excursion, a mischievous boy named Kishore witnesses the theft, carried out by Raja Varma's accomplices Vasu and Dasu. Krishna Kumar, a brave man, saves Kishore and takes him to the hospital. He is also in love with Ramdas's daughter, Hema, who dismisses her father's experiments as useless. As Krishna Kumar visits Ramdas's house, he comes across the time machine, which soon breaks down. He befriends Kishore, who insists that the theft occurred, but no one believes him. Raja Varma's men attempt to kill Kishore at the hospital but fail. Krishna Kumar then takes Kishore to the museum, where they discover that the diamond has been replaced, but Kishore believes it is a fake. Kishore learns about the time machine from Hema and realizes that they can use it to travel back to the day of the robbery. One night, Kishore sneaks into Ramdas's house with other hospital children and activates the time machine. In an attempt to rescue them, Krishna Kumar and Hema accidentally get caught in the machine, along with a

police constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an police officer, officer within a police ser ...

chasing a petty thief. They are transported back to 1526 CE, during the reign of Vijayanagara emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya. Krishna Kumar saves Simhanandini, a royal court dancer, from an attack, and she invites them to the royal court. Krishna Kumar impresses the emperor by reciting a poem not yet written by the court poet, Tenali Ramakrishna. Though initially skeptical, Sri Krishnadevaraya welcomes them and listens as they explain that they are from the future. Krishna Kumar sees the stolen diamond in the Emperor's prayer room, learning it has divine power which reflects on the eve of Karthika Pournami and is prophesied to be stolen twice, once during Sri Krishnadevaraya's reign and again after 500 years. Fascinated, they stay back to witness the event on the upcoming Karthika Pournami. When Sri Krishnadevaraya is worried about the arrival of an undefeated poet named Narasa Kavi to challenge his court poets, Krishna Kumar predicts the victory of Tenali Ramakrishna over him, impressing the Emperor. Simhanandini, who becomes infatuated with Krishna Kumar, attempts to seduce him, but he rejects her. Humiliated, she accuses him of deception. To settle the matter, Krishna Kumar proposes a dance competition between Hema and Simhanandini, which Hema wins. They then request to witness the diamond's effect on Karthika Pournami, and Sri Krishnadevaraya grants their wish. During the event, the diamond radiates seven colors in the moonlight. Seeking revenge for her humiliation, Simhanandini conspires with Senadhipathi to frame Krishna Kumar for the diamond's theft. While Krishna Kumar catches Senadhipathi attempting to steal the diamond, Senadhipathi successfully frames him for the crime in front of the emperor. Tenali Ramakrishna uncovers the truth, and after being abducted by Senadhipathi, he escapes with the help of Manjari, the constable's love interest. Despite being sentenced to death, Krishna Kumar is saved by Sri Krishnadevaraya, who believes in his innocence. Tenali Ramakrishna, with Manjari's help, reveals the truth to the emperor, clearing Krishna Kumar's name. Krishna Kumar, Hema, and the constable escape through the time machine, but instead of arriving in 1991, the machine malfunctions and takes them to 2504 CE. They find a

world devastated by radiation from the

Third World War World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that such a war would involve all of the great powers, l ...

. They learn that the time machine is malfunctioning, but they decide to explore the future, where people live underground and use the diamond for power. From a past news report, they discover that Krishna Kumar died in 1991 while attempting to retrieve the diamond from Raja Varma. Krishna Kumar makes the constable promise not to reveal his death, especially to Hema. Realizing their time is running out, they return to 1991. Back in the present, they find that Raja Varma has kidnapped Ramdas and Kishore to seize the time machine. Krishna Kumar rescues them and confronts Raja Varma in a fight that leads to a showdown at a hilltop, where the time machine explodes. Though presumed dead, Krishna Kumar survives by jumping off the cliff before the explosion. He realizes that they did not receive all the necessary information from the future. The film ends with Ramdas deciding that the time machine has no practical use for society or the country. He chooses to focus on other projects, while Kishore expresses his ambition to become a scientist like Ramdas.

Cast

* Balakrishna Nandamuri as Krishna Kumar and Sri Krishnadevaraya (dual role) *

as Hema (dubbed by S. P. Sailaja) *

as Prof. Ramdas (dubbed by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam) * Master Tarun as Kishore *

as Raja Varma *

as Simha Nandani * Chandra Mohan as Tenali Ramakrishna * J. V. Somayajulu as Timmarusu *

Police Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an police officer, officer within a police ser ...

Brahmanandam Kanneganti Brahmanandam (born 1 February 1956) is an Indian actor and comedian known for his work in Telugu cinema. Recognised as one of India's finest and highest-paid comic actors, he holds the Guinness World Record for the most screen cred ...

as a scientist in 2504 CE *

Subhalekha Sudhakar Suravajhala Sudhakar (born 19 November 1960), known by his stage name Subhalekha Sudhakar, is an Indian actor who worked in Telugu and Tamil language films. Sudhakar's first Telugu film '' Subhalekha'' (1982) gained him wide recognition throug ...

as a scientist in 2504 CE *

Raavi Kondala Rao Raavi Kondala Rao (11 February 1932 – 28 July 2020) was an Indian actor, screenwriter, playwright, and journalist who worked in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acted in over 400 films. He won Nandi Award for Best Story Writer for '' Pel ...

as a scientist in 2504 CE *

Gollapudi Maruti Rao Gollapudi Maruti Rao (14 April 1939 – 12 December 2019) was an Indian actor, writer and director known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre, and Telugu literature. Maruti Rao acted in over 250 Telugu films in a variety of roles. Hi ...

as Museum Curator *

Chalapathi Rao Tammareddy Chalapathi Rao (8 May 1944 – 24 December 2022) was an Indian actor and producer known for comedy and villainous roles in Telugu cinema. He acted in different roles in more than 600 films. Personal life and death Rao hailed from B ...

as Senadhipathi *

Tanikella Bharani Tanikella Bharani (born 14 July 1954) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, poet and playwright who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has worked as an actor in more than 750 films, including few in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi; while he was al ...

as Raja Varma's henchman *

Babu Mohan Pally Babu Mohan commonly known as Babu Mohan is an Indian actor and politician formerly from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He prominently works in Telugu films as a comedian and is a former Minister for Labour in Andhra Pradesh. He won Nandi ...

as Raja Varma's henchman * Annapoorna as Dr. Lalita * Sri Lakshmi as Madhavi * Baby Raasi (credited as Baby Vijaya) as Kishore's friend * Kinnera as Tirumala Devi * Potti Prasad as Bhatudu

Production

Development

The concept for ''Aditya 369'' was inspired by

'' (1895), which director

had read during his student years. The idea of time travel intrigued Srinivasa Rao, and he developed a script to adapt the theme for the

audience, focusing on its implications. The story was designed to explore journeys to the past and future, with the historical era of Sri Krishnadevaraya () chosen for the former. To conceptualize the future, Srinivasa Rao conducted research at the American Library in

(now Chennai). Drawing inspiration, he imagined underground cities, thought-projection through speakers, and other futuristic elements, which he incorporated into the script. Though often compared to ''Back to the Future'', Srinivasa Rao clarified that ''Aditya 369'' was not inspired by it, and observers have noted that the similarities between the two stop "with the trouble that the protagonist faces in a different time zone". The initial concept for the segment set in the era of Sri Krishnadevaraya focused on the political dynamics among the

Ashtadiggajas Ashtadiggajas () is the collective title given to the eight great Telugu scholars and poets in the court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya, who ruled the Vijayanagara Empire from 1509 until his death in 1529. During his reign, Telugu literature and ...

, the eight renowned poets in his court. However, Srinivasa Rao decided against this approach, anticipating potential controversies and allegations of historical distortion. Instead, the storyline was adapted to include lighthearted and humorous elements. The revised narrative featured memorable scenes such as the comedic "Meka Thokaku Meka" sequence in Sri Krishnadevaraya's court, the lively rap interlude ("Rampampa Rampa Pampa") in the "Suramodham" song, and entertaining interactions between

and Sri Lakshmi. These additions brought a humorous tone to the film. The literary discussion scene in the royal court bears a resemblance to a similar scene in ''Tenali Ramakrishna'' (1956); however, Srinivasa Rao gave it a distinct treatment in this film. During a flight between

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

and Madras, director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao shared the storyline of the film with singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, explaining its time travel theme and focus on the era of Sri Krishnadevaraya. Impressed by the idea, Balasubrahmanyam suggested Srinivasa Rao approach his relative, producer

Sivalenka Krishna Prasad Sivalenka Krishna Prasad is an Indian film producer. Early life Sivalenka Krishna Prasad is the nephew of Chandra Mohan. He did his graduate studies from Osmania University in Hyderabad. Career He started his career dubbing the film “Rak ...

, who had previously produced the successful film ''Chinnodu Peddodu'' (1988). Balasubrahmanyam introduced Krishna Prasad to Srinivasa Rao, and they had a detailed discussion about the project. As Krishna Prasad was unfamiliar with the time travel genre, Srinivasa Rao provided him with video cassettes of ''Back to the Future'' Parts I (1985) and II (1989), as well as ''Time After Time'' (1979), to demonstrate how time travel is portrayed in these films. While the plot of ''Aditya 369'' was entirely distinct from these films, the references helped Krishna Prasad understand the concept of time travel, which he was not previously familiar with. After grasping the concept, Krishna Prasad had concerns about the challenge of creating a film based on such an unexplored idea in Indian cinema. However, Balasubrahmanyam reassured him, believing the film could be a landmark. This encouragement ultimately convinced Krishna Prasad to proceed with production. Srinivasa Rao later speculated that if he had not met Balasubrahmanyam on that flight, the film might not have been made. S. Anitha Krishna, Krishna Prasad's wife, was credited as the producer, and Balasubrahmanyam served as the presenter. Srinivasa Rao handled the story, screenplay, and direction, while

wrote the dialogues.

Casting

Producer Krishna Prasad suggested casting

for the role of Sri Krishnadevaraya. Balasubrahmanyam supported this suggestion and helped facilitate discussion with Balakrishna. Balakrishna immediately agreed after hearing the story and was eager to portray a character previously played by his father,

N. T. Rama Rao Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor, philanthropist, and politician who served as the Chief Minister o ...

. He prepared extensively, including wearing a heavy crown to ensure an authentic performance. Initially,

Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954), known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. Considered as one of the most accomplished actors of Indian Cinema, Haas ...

was considered for the role of Krishna Kumar, and a multi-starrer featuring both actors was even planned. However, due to Kamal Haasan's prior commitments, Balakrishna took on both roles.

Vijayashanti Moturi Vijaya Shanthi (born 24 June 1966) is an Indian actress, film producer and politician. In a film career spanning 40 years, she has acted in 187 feature films in a variety of roles in various languages predominantly in Telugu language, Te ...

was initially considered for the female lead, but scheduling conflicts led to the casting of

, who was acquainted with cinematographer P. C. Sreeram. This film marked Mohini's Telugu debut, with her voice dubbed by S. P. Sailaja. Hindi actor

Tinu Anand Tinu Anand (born Virender Raj Anand) is an Indian actor, director, writer and producer in Hindi cinema and a few Telugu and Tamil films. Personal life He is the son of veteran writer Inder Raj Anand, brother of producer Bittu Anand and uncle ...

was cast as the scientist who invents the time machine, and his voice was dubbed by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.

was cast as the primary antagonist, while

, Chandra Mohan, Silk Smita, and child actors Tarun and Raasi appeared in supporting roles.

Filming

The production of the film began in 1990, with P. C. Sreeram initially handling the cinematography for the present-day scenes. However, after completing the first schedule, he stepped down due to health issues. V. S. R. Swamy subsequently took over cinematography for the historical era scenes, while Kabir Lal managed the cinematography for the futuristic sequences. Peketi Ranga handled the art direction, while A. Sambasiva Rao was responsible for the costumes. Producer Krishna Prasad initially estimated that a budget of ₹1.30

would ensure the project's financial viability. However, the costs increased by an additional ₹30

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

. The sets constructed at Annapurna Studios and the concept of the time machine had already captured public interest, prompting distributors to cover the additional expenses. Ultimately, the total expenditure ranged between ₹1.52 crore and ₹1.60 crore. The scenes depicting Krishnadevaraya's era were filmed at

Annapurna Studios Annapurna Studios is an Indian film studio facility founded in 1976 by the Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. It is located on a site in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. The studio provides comprehensive production and post-production services. ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

, while the initial sequences featuring the time machine were shot at

Vauhini Studios Vauhini Studios was an Indian film production company and studio facility in Madras. It was founded by Moola Narayana Swamy and B. N. Reddy (Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy). In later years, Nagi Reddi, owner of Vijaya Productions, acquired Vauhini ...

in Madras. For certain scenes, the time machine

prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

was transported on a large truck to locations such as the

Talakona Talakona is situated in Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is a resort with waterfalls, dense forests and wildlife. Talakona waterfall is in Sri Venkateswara National Park, Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. With a -fall, Talakona ...

forest in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

. The futuristic sequences were filmed on specially constructed sets at VGP Golden Beach, Madras.

Practical effects In filmmaking a practical effect is a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques. In some contexts, "special effect" is used as a synonym of "practical effect", in contrast to "vi ...

were employed to depict a post-apocalyptic world devastated by World War Three. Filming the future-related sequences required the most time due to the uniqueness of the concept and the practical challenges involved. The song "Jaanavule" was filmed on two floors at Annapurna Studios and recorded at

Prasad Studios Prasad Studios and Prasad Film Labs are motion picture post-production studios headquartered in Chennai, India, founded by Prasad Group in 1956. The production house has produced over 150 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi ...

. The choreography was handled by Sundaram Master, with his sons

Prabhu Deva Prabhu Deva (born 3 April 1973) is an Indian dance choreographer, film director, producer and actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu language films also appeared in few Kannada and Malayal ...

and

Raju Sundaram Basuva Raju Sundaram (born 6 September 1968) is an Indian dance choreographer, actor and film director, who works primarily in Tamil, Telugu films also appeared in Kannada and Malayalam films. He appeared as an actor in films like ''Jeans'' (19 ...

assisting him. Additionally, Prabhu Deva independently choreographed the song "Centurylu Kotte Vayassu Maadi". Due to limited visual effects technology in India at the time, the film was shot using a

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

camera and later transferred to

film negative In photography, a negative is an image, usually on a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film, in which the lightest areas of the photographed subject appear darkest and the darkest areas appear lightest. This reversed order occurs because th ...

. After completing the filming, the team traveled to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

for the graphics work.

Title

Several titles, including ''Kaalayantram'', ''Yuga Purushudu'', and ''Adityudu'' were considered before ''Aditya 369'' was finalized. The title was chosen to symbolize the

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

(Aditya), which transcends time and eras, while the number 369 represents the time machine's serial number. The

ascending sequence Games of patience, or (card) solitaires as they are usually called in North America, have their own 'language' of specialised terms such as "building down", "packing", "foundations", "talon" and "tableau". Once learnt they are helpful in de ...

of numbers was selected to signify the concept of time travel.

Music

The music for the film was composed by

and released under the Leo Music Company label. The soundtrack is regarded as one of the best in Balakrishna's career, with songs like "Jaanavule" and "Raasaleela Vela" becoming instant hits among music lovers. For the song "Jaanavule", director Srinivasa Rao wanted a semi-classical tune inspired by old historical films, featuring vocalizations like "aahaa ha... Oho ho", typical of early talkie songs.

Jikki Pillavalu Gajapathy Krishnaveni (3 November 1935 – 16 August 2004), more famously known as Jikki, was an Indian playback singer from Andhra Pradesh. She sang around 10,000 songs in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Sinhalese, and Hindi lan ...

was chosen to sing the song, and

S. Janaki Sistla Janaki (born 23 April 1938) is an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely referred to as Janaki Amma and Nightingale of India(nightingale of South) . She is one of the greatest playback singers in the history ...

, who was in the studio, stayed until the recording was finished to help Jikki with her lines.

Marketing

Producer Sivalenka Krishnaprasad, aiming to enhance ''Aditya 369''s visibility, requested

Chiranjeevi Konidela Chiranjeevi (born Konidela Sivasankara Varaprasad; 22 August 1955) is an Indian actor, philanthropist and former politician known for his work in Telugu cinema. Known as the "Mega Star", he is widely regarded as one of the most succe ...

's participation in the film's promotional campaign. Chiranjeevi agreed to appear in an advertisement, which was broadcast on

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

. This promotional effort helped attract a wider audience, particularly among families and younger viewers, contributing to the film's success.

Reception

Critical response

The film, granted a 'U' certificate by the

Censor Board The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisio ...

, was released on 18 July 1991. It received positive reviews, with commendation for its technical aspects, music, cinematography, visual effects, production design, and performances by the cast. In a retrospective review,

Gudipoodi Srihari Gudipoodi Srihari (8 September 1934 – 5 July 2022) was a journalist who worked as a film and art critic for ''Eenadu'' and later ''The Hindu''. Life and career Gudipoodi Srihari did his Bachelor of Science at Andhra University and his mast ...

describes ''Aditya 369'' as "an interesting and entertaining film" that blends science fiction with history, praising its performances, music, cinematography, and technical strengths. In 2020, Balakrishna Ganeshan of ''

The News Minute ''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Vignesh Vellore who is also the current CEO in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, ...

'' wrote, "The film is considered to be a masterpiece because it perfectly blended the genre of sci-fi and drama with the mainstream template of songs and fight sequences to make it an entertaining watch. It also unlocked the imagination of scores of people to look beyond our realm by popularising Albert Einstein's theories of time and relativity."

Box office

''Aditya 369'' was a box office success. However, its earnings were not as high as those of Balakrishna's commercial potboilers released around the same time. The film was later dubbed into

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

as ''Apoorva Sakthi 369'', which was released in August 1992 and also met with success. It was subsequently dubbed into

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

under the title ''Mission 369''.

Themes

''Aditya 369'' is regarded as the first Indian film based on time travel. The film blends elements of science fiction and historical fiction, exploring themes of time travel, democracy, technology, and warfare. It contrasts two distinct time periods: the grandeur of the

in 1526 and a

future in 2504. The film portrays the Vijayanagara Empire under Emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya in an idealized light, showcasing a society where the streets are filled with pearls and diamonds, and theft is unheard of. Krishnadevaraya is depicted as a noble ruler, symbolizing the virtues of the past. However, the narrative also highlights the advancements of modernity, suggesting that democracy and technological progress have improved the world. Krishna Kumar's casual explanations of modern concepts to people of the past serve as playful critiques of historical structures. In addition to the historical setting, ''Aditya 369'' presents a post-apocalyptic future. Set in 2504, the future world is depicted as a devastated Earth, scarred by the aftermath of

World War III World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that such a war would involve all of the great powers, ...

. Nuclear radiation has rendered the surface of the planet uninhabitable, forcing humanity to live underground in hermetically sealed structures. Advanced technology helps people adapt to this harsh reality, with devices such as "stomach computers" that notify individuals when to eat, machines that interpret thoughts, and "Dragon Walk," a precursor to modern music-streaming platforms. The society is heavily reliant on technology, with people embracing it with amusement rather than cynicism. The film adopts a light-hearted and adventurous approach to time travel, with characters interacting with historical figures without concern for altering the past. Unlike typical time travel stories that explore the consequences of changing history, ''Aditya 369'' presents a world where the past and future coexist without significant changes to the timeline. Kali Wallace of ''Reactor'' observed that the narrative focuses on this coexistence rather than the disruption of history. She also noted that the film neither idealizes the past nor emphasizes the potential dark ages of the future, describing it as "a celebration of the present." At its core, ''Aditya 369'' follows the classic hero's journey, with Krishna Kumar overcoming various challenges to thwart the villain, Raja Varma. The film maintains an optimistic tone, celebrating heroism and the triumph of good over evil. The diamond serves as a central element connecting the past, present, and future timelines, playing a crucial role in the plot across all three eras.

Legacy

''Aditya 369'' is regarded as an influential film in the science fiction genre within

and

Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...

, pioneering time travel-themed storytelling in the country. The film has been praised by several filmmakers. Director

Nag Ashwin Singireddy Nag Ashwin Reddy (born 23 April 1986), popularly known as Nag Ashwin, is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is the recipient of a National Film Award, a Nandi Award, and a Filmfare Award ...

has cited ''Aditya 369'', alongside ''

Bhairava Dweepam ''Bhairava Dweepam'' () is a 1994 Indian Telugu-language high fantasy film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. Starring Nandamuri Balakrishna and Roja in lead roles, the film features Vijaya Rangaraja as the titular antagonist, Bhairava. The s ...

'', as one of his favourite films. Similarly, director

Venkatesh Maha Venkatesh Maha is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who works in Telugu cinema. He's known for directing films such as '' C/o Kancharapalem'' (2018) and '' Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya'' (2020). Career Maha left his house at the ...

has expressed admiration for the film, describing it, along with ''Bhairava Dweepam'', as a "courageous" effort for its time. Actor and producer

Nandamuri Kalyan Ram Nandamuri Kalyan Ram (born 5 July 1978) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Telugu cinema. He is the son of actor-politician Nandamuri Harikrishna. Ram is best known for his roles in action films such as ''Athanokkade'', ''Hare Ram ...

has cited ''Aditya 369'' as one of his favourites, crediting it as an influence on the production of ''

Bimbisara Bimbisāra (in Buddhist tradition) or Shrenika () and Seniya () in the Jain histories ( or ) was the King of Magadha (V. K. Agnihotri (ed.), ''Indian History''. Allied Publishers, New Delhi 262010p. 166f. or ) and belonged to the Haryanka d ...

'' (2022). The 2021 film '' Adbhutham'' references ''Aditya 369'', with its climax drawing inspiration from the earlier film. Director Raghavendra Varma Indukuri of ''

Bombhaat ''Bombhaat'' () is a 2020 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language science fiction film directed by Raghavendra Varma and produced by Vishwas Hannurkar under the Sucheta DreamWorks Productions banner. The film is presented by K. Raghavendra Rao ...

'' (2020) also credited ''Aditya 369'' as a key inspiration for making an accessible and entertaining science fiction film. In the 2023 film ''Bro'', a song titled "Jaanavule" was named after the popular track from ''Aditya 369''.

Future

In January 2017, Srinivasa Rao announced his intention to work on ''Aditya 369'''s sequel. Later, it is reported that the sequel would feature Balakrishna along with his son Mokshagna. The sequel titled ''Aditya 999 Max'' was reportedly written by Balakrishna in just one night. After years of speculation, Balakrishna confirmed on ''Unstoppable'' in December 2024 that the sequel will begin production in 2025, with Mokshagna starring. The director for the film remains unconfirmed.

Awards

;

(in

) * Best Art Director - Peketi Ranga * Best Costume Designer - A. Samba Siva Rao

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1990s avant-garde and experimental films 1990s dystopian films 1990s heist films 1990s science fiction adventure films 1990s Telugu-language films 1991 films Apocalyptic films 1990s films about time travel Films directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Films scored by Ilaiyaraaja Indian avant-garde and experimental films Indian films with live action and animation Films set in 1991 Films set in the 1520s Films set in the 21st century Films set in the 26th century Films set in the future Films set in the Vijayanagara Empire History of India on film Indian heist films Indian dystopian films Indian post-apocalyptic films Indian science fiction adventure films Indian science fiction films Indian time travel films Films based on works by H. G. Wells 1991 science fiction films

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