Jeevana Chaitra

Infobox_Film
name = Jeevana Chaitra ("Peak/Spring of Life")


caption =
director = Dorai Bhagavan
producer = Parvathamma Rajkumar
writer = Chi Udayashankar
starring = Dr Rajkumar, Madhavi, K S Ashwath, Pandaribhai, Gurudutt, Abhijit
music = Upendrakumar
cinematography = V K Kannan
editing =
distributor = vajreshwari Combines
released = 1991
runtime =
country = India
language = Kannada
Budget =
preceded_by = Parashuram
followed_by = Akasmika
awards =
Gross =
imdb_id =

Jeevana Chaitra is a Kannada language feature film released in the year 1991. It marked re-entry of Dr Rajkumar after a gap of 5 years and was an instant-hit. Rumoured to be [{Dr Rajkumar] 's life story, viz., the movie too had 3 sons alike in real life, It re-affirmed the hold [Dr Rajkumar] had on audience.

Plot

Jeevana Chaitra tracks the life and times of Vishwanath, from his youth to the days of his jodi inamathi, when he becomes Jodidar Vishwanatha Raya to his end.Being an idle son, he traces Meenakshi (Madhavi) in a marriage. Meenakshi is enamoured towards Vishwanathm but fears that she is too poor to join ranks of Jodidar's. However, Vishwanath's father enquires into Meenakshi's family and accepts the marriage-proposal. Meenakshi and Vishwanath get married. Vishwanath takes over the mantle of Jodidar of Simhaadri and other 8 villages from his father and tries to better the lifes of his 8 villages.

He fights illiteray, liqour racket and other social evils, in order to help villagers.

The smooth going life is made rich by 3 sons, Meenakshi delivers. In the comic part of movie, Putta Joisa enters the family as a priest. Caught when trying to steal gold from Jodidar's home, he pleads guilty. Vishwanath, with kindness gives him money and asks to leave the village. He reasons that if any one learns that he has robbed Jodidar's, villagers are sure to kill him. Putta Joisa, leaves in tears, knowing that he does not deserve to be with Jodidar's.

The rift at the home begins, when Vishwanath's sons come of age.

Elder son, a Doctor falls for his classmate, daughter of a liqour baron(Tugudipa Srinivas) , who had been beaten by Vishwanath earlier. Tugudip creates a rift between the father and son and verbally insults Vishwanath, when he approcahes Vishwanath for marriage proposal.

Point of contention is Vishwanath dreams his son(Gurudutt) and daughter-in-law, both doctors to oversee the village hospital, he is due to build. However, Tugudip kindles him for expecting his daughter to stay in village. Vishwanath mentions that if Tugudip's daughter is to marry his son, she will have to stay with her husband, viz., his son in their village.

Tugudip walks away threatening Gurudutt that he can choose either his father's village or his love.Gurudutt fights with his father and leaves home. This comes as a first blow to Vishwanatha Raya.

Second Son(Abhijit) gets married and his wife is not very happy staying in village and serving her in-laws. Frustrated, Meenakshi pleads her brother to allow her to take her niece Lakshmi (played by Sudharani) with her for few days.

Lakshmi fills the home with happiness, by her alertness, jovial nature. Vishwanath and Meenakshi plan to get her narried to their last son Narahari (played by Balaraj). Narahari, once learns on his parent's plan, wastes no time in marrying his love and brings her home.

Meenakshi and Vishwanth are shocked to see Narahari and his wife. She has no face to show to her brother, when he would ask about Lakshmi's fate. The burden is too much for Meenakshi and she dies, while welcoming her daughter-in-law.

Vishwanath feels lonely and goes on a theertha yaatre, meets with an accident and looses memory.He wanders around and is shown visiting Badri, Rishikesh, Kedara and Varanasi. When he finds the beauty of Himalaya, he is spell bound by nature and sings his heart-out.

Putta Joisa, finds his old employer, clothed in rags and singing on a Ghaat. He helps Vishwanath regain memory.

Meanwhile, Tugudip sweet-talks to Vishwanath's three sons and takes ver Vishwanath's property. Sons, have become addicted to pomp and luxurious life style. They throw away their granny from home.

Vishwanath comes back to home, only to find it has turned from a Temple to Drinker's Paradise. He single-handedly beats the daylights out of drunkards gathered over there and questions his sons about his mother. Learning that she is passing days in a lonely hut, he visits his mother.

Pandari Bhai is filled with joy to find her son alive. She pleads his son to take cudgels against the liquor baron Tugudip. Life comes a full-circle to Vishwanath. He again starts the task of fighting liqour racket, gambling and other evils.

He ends up on a winning note, when the gamblers den is made into Primary School and the liquor factory is closed down. His children too learn their lesson and join hands with him.

A happy man, Vishwanath creates a will dividing his assets among his sons and leaves to a higher calling. Last scene shows Vishwanath ascending a hill, far away from Simhaadri.

Cast

Crew

Story Vishalakshi Dakshinamurthy's novel vyaapti-praaptiScreenplay, Lyrics and Dialogues Chi UdayashankarMusic UpendraKumarDirection Dorai-Bhagawan

Reception

[Jeevana Chaitra created a sort of hysteria, when it was released and the movie tickets became a prize commodity.There wer eno release by Dr Rajkumar in previous years. People were so craving for whole some entertainment that Satya Harishchandra, a black and white movie of Dr Rajkumar was re-released and ran to packed houses.

Jeevana Chaitra, on release ran to packed houses across Karnataka. The movie completed 100 days and had to be removed from theatres, to help other producers to garner money. Dr Rajkumar's cut-out of suit clad hero had the usual ritual of getting soaked in milk at many places. Chinnegouda, Parvathamma's brother had left Vajreshwari Combines before the movie was started and it was expected that commercial constraints(Budget, distribution and theatres) would limit the movie from becoming a success. However, the movie re-iterated that Brand Rajkumar was a sure success.

Box Office

Movie ran for 100 days and the owing to the audience reception, Dr Raj had to announce that he would act in another movie Akasmika.

Reviews and critiques

The movie received rave reviews, owing to the storyline and message about combating liqour baron.

Notes

* Inspired by the movie, there were many instances of people closing down liqour houses, across [Karnataka] .

* This movie was rumoured to have been made on Rajkumar's real-life. Dr Rajkumar's elder son Shivarajkumar is happily married to Geetha, daughter of S Bangarappa, who is very close to liqour barons. However, in the movie, Gurudutt, the elder son married the daughter of liquor baron Tugudip Srinivas's against his father's wishes. It is noteworthy that Dr Rajkumar and S Bangarappa belong to same community Idiga, whose profession involves arrack.

* There were wide spread rumours from time-to-time that Dr Rajkumar had consumed poison or diamond, owing to family pressures. Yellow-press had been insisting that all-is-not-well within the household. Jeevana Chaitra was made at such a time. However, such rumours were not seen, after this movie.

* kasturi, channel owned by Devegouda family purchased the rights for Jeevana Chitra and the movie was telecasted first time on kasturi channel.