''Thiladaanam'' (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

title: ''The Rite... A Passion'') is a 2000 Indian

Telugu-language Telugu (; , ) is a 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 the Dravidian langua ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

, written and directed by film-critic

K. N. T. Sastry Kanaala Nanjunda Tirumala Sastry (5 September 1945 – 13 September 2018) was an Indian film critic, screenwriter, director, littérateur, and producer, known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He has garnered six National Film Awards ...

in his debut directorial, based on a story by Rentala Nageswara Rao. The film features H. G. Dattatreya,

Brahmaji Brahmaji (born 25 April 1965) is an Indian who works in Telugu cinema. He is a regular actor in director Krishna Vamsi's films. Brahmaji appeared in an important role in Krishna Vamsi's debut film as a director, '' Gulabi''. He appeared in Kri ...

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 ...

, and Jaya Seal in pivotal roles. Upon release, the film received positive reviews and won the Best First Film of a Director award at the

49th National Film Awards The 49th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 2001. Awards were announced by t ...

. The citation praised the film "for its juxtaposition of two diverse ideologies existing within the same family—the father's belief in his religion and traditions and his son's revolutionary ideology. The film strikes a very fine balance in inter-generational explorations." ''Thiladaanam'' is the only Indian film to be honoured with the New Currents Award at the 7th

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...

. It was also featured in the Indian Panorama section at the

33rd International Film Festival of India The 33rd International Film Festival of India was held from 1–10 October 2002 in New Delhi. The competitive edition was restricted to "Asian Directors". Deepak Sandhu served as the director for the festival. The Devdas retrospective received sp ...

, and in a Retrospective at the

New York Indian Film Festival The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in New York City, and screens films relating to India, the Indian Diaspora, and the work of Indian filmmakers. The festival began in November 2001 and was foun ...

Plot

Subbayya is an outcast Brahmin priest living in Hyderabad, who survives by performing ''tiladaanam'' (a Hindu ritual of giving sesame seeds as alms, which transfers the giver's sins to the receiver), the meanest form of Brahmin duty. He ekes out a living as a corpse-carrier, moving from funeral to funeral, studying and practicing the tradition of washing away the sins of the deceased. He is a staunch follower of traditional values and is content with his social position. In contrast, his son, Raghuram, is a

Naxalite Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight ...

and is willing to resort to violence to bring about societal change. This ideological conflict creates tension between father and son, with greater dangers looming ahead for the family. Raghuram makes a clandestine visit home during the birth of his child, but in search of him, the anti-Naxalite team ransacks Subbayya's house. Although Raghuram escapes the police firing, killing a cop in the process, he eventually surrenders to the authorities, hoping that his family will receive government compensation. Shocked by his son's surrender, Subbayya dies from the trauma, leaving his daughter-in-law, Padma, waiting in vain for the promised compensation.

Cast

Awards

;International Honours *

New Currents New Currents is a competitive section of Busan International Film Festival's official selection. The section was introduced at the festival's inaugural edition, in 1996. It showcases the first or second feature films by up-and-coming Asian direct ...

Award at the 7th

*Indian Panorama section at the

*Retrospective

*One-of-a-kind Indo-German Film Festival ;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

* Best Debut Film of a Director - K. N. T. Sastry ;

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 ...

* Best First Film of a Director - K. N. T. Sastry * Best Makeup Artist - Shyam Jadcharla

References

{{New Currents 2000s Telugu-language films 2000 films Films about social realism Best Debut Feature Film of a Director National Film Award winners Films based on Indian novels Telugu-language literature Fictional portrayals of police departments in India Films about Naxalism Indian crime drama films Films about women in India 2000 crime drama films Films about the caste system in India Films about social issues in India Fictional portrayals of the Andhra Pradesh Police Indian avant-garde and experimental films Indian nonlinear narrative films 2000 directorial debut films National Film Development Corporation of India films