Shiva (1989 Telugu film)

Shiva, a college student, moves to Hyderabad with his brother Sarath's family and enrolls in the local VAS College of Arts and Sciences. Although Sarath and his daughter Keerthi get along well with Shiva, Sarath's wife considers him a financial burden. Shiva befriends a group of students at his college and falls in love with Asha, the sister of the honest Inspector Venkat. The college's unopposed students' union president J. Durga Rao "J. D", a troublemaker feared among the students and faculty, happens to be the lowest rung on a gang ladder reaching from the gangster Ganesh to Bhavani, a local crime boss. Bhavani uses his network to support his mentor Machiraju, a burgeoning local politician. Although J. D. is arrested many times on various charges, Bhavani continues to bail him out. J.D once behaves inappropriately with Asha on campus, which infuriates Shiva. He confronts JD and attacks him and his cronies with a bicycle chain, which fosters a rivalry between him and Ganesh. The incident encourages Shiva's friends to ask him to stand for the students' union presidency, but Shiva wants them to nominate Naresh (one of the group members) instead. Ganesh's attempts to intimidate Shiva becomes useless. Bhavani learns about him and considers Shiva as a potential replacement for J. D, whose weakness annoys him. One night, Naresh is brutally assaulted by Ganesh and Bhavani's other henchmen and is taken to hospital. Shiva retaliates, infuriating Bhavani. One day, when Shiva's friends travel out of town to attend a wedding, they are attacked by Ganesh and others. One of Shiva's friends Malli is murdered in the process and Shiva swears vengeance. Sensing a risk to Sarath's family after an attempt on Keerthi's life, Shiva leaves their house and moves into his friend Chinna's hostel. Shiva agrees to contest the students' union presidential election. Bhavani cheats labour union leader Krishna Reddy, who changes his allegiance to Shiva. Bhavani begins attacking and murdering Shiva's close aides and Shiva ensures that Sarath relocates to Warangal on transfer of his job. Shiva attacks Bhavani's henchmen and helps Venkat arrest Ganesh. Machiraju sees Shiva as a potential replacement for Bhavani and stops supporting the latter. Bhavani learns about Shiva's relationship with Sarath and kidnaps Keerthi. Ganesh appears in court and an arrest warrant is issued for Bhavani. Insulted and humiliated, Bhavani kills Keerthi and Shiva sets out to exact vengeance. While Bhavani comes out of Machiraju's house after killing him, Shiva spots him and a chase ensues. Shiva and Bhavani duel at a shopping complex rooftop. After brutally getting injured by Shiva, Bhavani dies by falling from the rooftop. Venkat and Asha reach the mall and witness Bhavani's corpse among the crowd. Shiva walks down the stairs and meets them up in dismay. == Cast ==

• Nagarjuna as Shiva • Amala as Asha • Raghuvaran as Bhavani • Viswanath as Ganesh • Tanikella Bharani as Nanaji • Jithendra as Chinna • Murali Mohan as Sarath • Kota Srinivasa Rao as Machiraju • Gollapudi Maruti Rao as Viswanadham • Sai Chand as Venkat • Subhalekha Sudhakar as "Malli" Mallick • Chakravarthy as J. Durga Rao (J. D.) • Ramjagan as Naresh • Sushma as Keerthi • Nirmalamma as Malli's mother • Brahmaji as Bhavani's henchman • Uttej as Yadagiri • Bhanu Prakash as the college principal == Production ==

Development After he graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Siddhartha Engineering College in Vijayawada, Ram Gopal Varma opened a video-rental shop in Ameerpet. Noting his son's interest in films, Penmatsa Krishnamraju (a former sound recordist for Annapurna Studios) helped Varma join the teams of Collector Gari Abbai (1987) and Rao Gari Illu (1988) as an assistant director. Varma befriended actor Nagarjuna, and filmmakers Akkineni Venkat and Yarlagadda Surendra. He presented his script for Raathri to them. But Nagarjuna wasn't interested in doing a horror film and encouraged Varma to come back with an action-oriented story. Varma then presented the script for Shiva, drawing inspiration from his own experiences as a student in Vijayawada. When Rao Gari Illu was nearly completed, Varma asked co-director Siva Nageswara Rao to join him. He approached Tanikella Bharani to write the dialogues after observing his work in Ladies Tailor (1985) and Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe (1987). Bharani found the plot (as described by Varma) similar to those of K. S. R. Das' films. Varma rejected Bharani's comic version, and asked to rewrite it as a crime drama. Although Bharani's usual fee was 25,000, he received 35,000 for Shiva. Gunasekhar and Teja, who later pursued career as filmmakers, joined the film's crew as assistant directors. Venkat and Surendra produced Shiva under their banners of Annapurna Studios and SS Creations, respectively. The production began in February 1989. Varma wanted M. M. Keeravani to compose the film's soundtrack and score, since Keeravani had assisted K. Chakravarthy on Rao Gari Illu. As both were inexperienced, Keeravani suggested that Varma choose a more seasoned technician and Ilaiyaraaja was signed instead. S. Gopala Reddy, Thota Tharani and Sattibabu were the film's director of photography, art director and editor, respectively. Gopala Reddy was inspired by Gordon Willis' work in The Godfather (1972). Casting Shiva is Nagarjuna's 17th film as an actor. Varma found him the only actor who could understand his perspective. Nagarjuna and Varma had discussed astronomy and realised that they shared similar sensibilities. That, and Varma's passion for and dedication to films, prompted Nagarjuna to work with him. Varma chose Raghuvaran to play the local crime boss, Bhavani. Varma wanted him to underplay the character, which was based on real life. Before accepting the role, Raghuvaran studied the mannerisms and lifestyles of mob leaders and criminals in Mumbai for 20 days. Varma chose newcomers Chakravarthy, Jithendra, and Ramjagan to play J. D., Chinna, and Naresh after auditioning them at Annapurna Studios. Uttej, one of Varma's assistant directors, played a comic role of a server in the college canteen. He recommended Varma to cast Sushma for Keerthi's role. Varma met the latter on the film's sets and asked him to perform a scene of his choice. Despite an unsuccessful screen test, Varma selected Chakravarthy after a meeting on the next day after observing the depth in his expression. Seasoned actors such as Murali Mohan, Gollapudi Maruti Rao, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Subhalekha Sudhakar, and Saichand played supporting roles. Bharani agreed to play Bhavani's assistant, Nanaji, at Varma's insistence. Producer Akkineni Venkat made a cameo appearance as one of Bhavani's clients, and Siva Nageswara Rao dubbed his portion. Brahmaji was cast as Bhavani's henchman. The scene in which Naresh is killed near his home was filmed in the streets of Vengala Rao Nagar. The cycle chase scenes were filmed in Somajiguda and the slums behind Yashoda Hospitals. The bus chase scene was shot in Yusufguda. The climax fight between Nagarjuna and Raghuvaran has been shot on the terrace of the Swapnalok Complex in Secunderabad, The iconic song "Anando Brahma" was filmed at the Borra Caves in Visakhapatnam. The film crew had to crawl into the caves, making Shiva the first Telugu film shot in its interiors. The fights, choreographed by Varma, featured hand-to-hand combat and attacks with hooks as he was trained in kickboxing. == Themes and influences ==

'' (1972), produced and directed by and starring Bruce Lee. It also focuses on politics and betrayal in the scene where Bhavani murders Machiraju and his enemy Viswanadham. As a student, Varma observed and participated in gang wars and student politics besides analysing the impact of a gangster's lifestyle and body language on students. Those experiences inspired him to begin writing Shiva. Most of the characters, including Bhavani, were inspired by real life. Bhavani was based on Radha, an actual crime boss with a reputation for violence in Vijayawada; Bhavani, like Radha, is also a woman's name. Director V.V. Vinayak said that the impact of Shiva is so big that movies can be divided as before and after Shiva. Vinayak further said Shiva is a great inspiration to many, not just in Telugu, but also in Tamil, as he remembered how assistant directors in Tamil Nadu got inspired by Shiva's Tamil dubbed version Udhayam when it was released during his stint as an assistant director in Chennai. The basic plot of The Way of the Dragon (1972) was adapted by Varma for Shiva. In The Way of the Dragon, Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) comes from Hong Kong to work in a Chinese restaurant in Rome and fights local gangsters who try to intimidate the owners; this leads to a rivalry with a crime boss (Chuck Norris). In Shiva, Nagarjuna comes from a nearby town to Hyderabad to further his education, fights gangsters and develops a rivalry with Raghuvaran. While Lee and Norris fight at the Colosseum at the climax of The Way of the Dragon, Nagarjuna and Raghuvaran duel on a building terrace in Shiva. In addition to The Way of the Dragon, Varma adapted scenes from a number of other films. Malli's mother slapping a police inspector for failing to save him was inspired by Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), and the cycle chase scene was based on a similar scene in Arjun. A scene in which goons demand donations to build a temple for Ganesha was from Kaal Chakra. Although Varma wanted to film a fight between Nagarjuna and Chakravarthy during a football match (based on a similar scene in 1978's Damien: Omen II), Venkat was indifferent to the idea. == Music ==

Shiva five-song soundtrack album and background score were composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with Veturi Sundararama Murthy writing the lyrics of "Anando Brahma", "Enniyallo", and "Kiss Me Hello". Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry wrote the lyrics for the remaining two songs: "Botany" and "Sarasalu". S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki, K. S. Chithra, and Mano were the singers. The soundtrack—in the only collaboration between Varma and Ilaiyaraaja—was successful upon release. == Release ==

Shiva was produced on a budget of 75 lakh. Venkat and Surendra retained the distribution rights for Nizam, Vishakhapatnam and the East and West Godavari regions. After Shiva's massive commercial success in Telugu, producers Venkat and Surendra decided to dub the film into Tamil as Udhayam. It was released on 12 January 1990 in 24 centres. == Reception ==

Shiva received praise for its usage of technology and sound design. Although producers Venkat and Surendra had average expectations before the release due to the film's unconventional approach, The Hindi remake Shiva was also a huge commercial success. During Shiva's 25 years celebrations, Ram Gopal Varma remembered a lighthearted moment with the late ANR, Varma said "Akkineni Nageswara Rao Sir advised me to place an advertisement thanking the audience for making my first film successful, to which I replied, the audience should thank me, why should I thank them?". Nagarjuna, along with director Ram Gopal Varma, announced the re-release of Shiva in a special enhanced 4K and Dolby Atmos format on 8 August 2025, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Annapurna Studios, and that the re-release date will be revealed soon. On 20 September 2025, Nagarjuna confirmed that Shiva is all set for a grand re-release on 14 November 2025 For the April 2013 centennial of Indian cinema, News18 included Shiva on its list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time, calling it a "completely new take on student politics and the ideologies driving it" and saying that the film's ideas "found a reflection in many university elections during a later stage". == Awards ==

Shiva was remade by Varma in Hindi as Shiva in 1990, and was Nagarjuna's acting debut in Hindi cinema. It was the last Hindi film with Amala in a lead role. Minor changes were made to the remake's cast and crew. All the songs in the Telugu version were used unchanged except for "Botany", which was reshot at Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University in Rajendranagar. Nagarjuna has ruled over Bollywood with Shiva's huge commercial success in Hindi. == Sequel ==

In September 2020 Nagarjuna said that a sequel to Shiva would be a viable alternative to a digitised version, and proposed a film about Shiva, Asha, and their two sons. Advising Varma to develop a script, he asked the director to cast Amala, Naga Chaitanya and Akhil Akkineni. The sequel would reportedly be produced by Annapurna Studios. == Aftermath ==

Digitisation In September 2014, Shiva was digitally remastered for theatrical release. Supriya Yarlagadda of Annapurna Studios said that the decision to remaster and digitise was made after observing the challenges in storing and preserving old film prints. The process (carried out in Mumbai) took a year, and the film's colour and sound quality were enhanced to meet current standards. A silver jubilee event was held on 7 October 2014 in Hyderabad, where Nagarjuna announced that Shiva digitised version would be released on 17 October 2014 on nearly 100 screens. In April 2015, Varma told Indo-Asian News Service that the digitised release was postponed until 15 May because of restoration delays. Documentary During the digitisation of Shiva, Varma said that he would release a documentary on the making of the film entitled Exploring Shiva after 25 Years. The first documentary based on a Telugu film, it provided a "holistic view of the film" The documentary was released on 5 October 2014, coinciding with Shiva silver anniversary. == Legacy ==

Influence on film personalities Shiva is one of the first Telugu films produced after the migration of Telugu film industry from Madras to Hyderabad to feature characters speaking the Telangana dialect. The film made Nagarjuna a superstar across India, it changed his career and earned him a reputation for encouraging new directors. Ashutosh Gowariker said Shiva had a "punch in the gut" impact that left a lasting impression and noted that the film was filled with an electrifying energy. He was particularly mesmerized by the opening and the famous bicycle chain scene, and he found actor Nagarjuna's performance magnetic. Gowariker noted that the film made him curious about how Varma created such a powerful screen presence. Many filmmakers and writers like V. V. Vinayak and Pulagam Chinnarayana have credited Shiva for raising the bar of Telugu Cinema as before and after Shiva. Within a year of the film's release, more than ten steadicams were imported into India. Shiva attracted audience from all age groups during its theatrical run, and its success encouraged filmmakers to explore a variety of themes and make experimental films. Mani Ratnam has praised the film, calling it an "amazing first film" for director Ram Gopal Varma. He highlighted Varma's command over the craft and mastery of cinema's language, noting a particular envy for the director's "economy of shots". Ratnam's comments were part of the film's re-release celebrations, highlighting its groundbreaking nature. Bharani broke through as an actor and dialogue writer with the film. Chakravarthy, Jithendra and Ramjagan achieved success with Shiva, and the former two adapted J. D. and Chinna as screen names. Telugu filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli understood the importance of heightening tension in action sequences, and the impact created by proper use of sound after watching Shiva. Music director Munna Kasi was inspired by Ilaiyaraaja's work in Shiva, and wanted to work with Varma after he graduated. On the rise of antisocial-element-based scripts in Tamil cinema, trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai said in May 2002 that Shiva Tamil-dubbed version (Udhayam) was the "forerunner" of city-based crime films. Tamil actor Ganesh Venkatraman was "mesmerised" as a child by Shiva, admiring Nagarjuna and carrying a cycle chain in his schoolbag. About the impact of Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) on Indian cinema, Rana Daggubati said that regional films can gain national acceptance for their content and cited the success of Shiva and Roja (1992) as examples. In March 2016, Karthi said that he admired Nagarjuna after seeing Udhayam its Tamil dubbed version and Idhayathai Thirudathe (1989) and found working with him in Oopiri (2016) "a great chance to know him." In popular culture The cycle-chain scene became popular, with people telling Varma that they broke a cycle chain after seeing Shiva; the director called them the "ultimate example of how imagination can take over and become a reality in time". Inspired by Varma's work in Shiva, Rajamouli composed the action sequence during the intermission of his directorial debut Student No. 1 (2001), and followed the shot division of the cycle-chain scene for the same. Varma then made Shiva 2006, with Mohit Ahlawat and Priyanka Kothari. If the original was set amid a campus backdrop, the 2006 version shows the protagonist as a honest cop fighting the corrupt system and the Mumbai underworld. Shiva 2006 failed to impress the audience and critics. Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com wrote that "the film dares to ridiculously rest on the incapable shoulders of a non-acting cast -- Mohit Ahlawat and Nisha Kothari, and also noted that Shiva 2006 has nothing in common with the original Nagarjuna starrer. Chakravarthy agreed to play the antagonist in Naga Chaitanya's acting debut, Josh (2009), and said that its makers are "trying to get JD of Shiva who actually ran away mid way from college". Bangalore Mirror and other reviewers noted similarities between Josh and Shiva, which Chaitanya called a "coincidence". Chaitanya's films, Bezawada (2011)—produced by Varma—and Autonagar Surya (2014), were noted for similarities to Shiva. Shiva was parodied in several films such as Lakshmi (2006), Oosaravelli (2011), Katha Screenplay Darsakatvam Appalaraju (2011) (also directed by Varma), and Sudigadu (2012). Amala listed Shiva with Pushpaka Vimana (1987), Vedham Pudhithu (1987), Agni Natchathiram (1988), and Karpoora Mullai (1991) as her most memorable films. Geethika Chandrahasan Sudip of The Hindu listed Shiva for the letter S in the July 2015 "ABCD of Telugu cinema". In August 2015, Pooja Darade of The Times of India included the film on her list of "Telugu movies one must watch before dying". == Notes ==