Adavi Biddalu Review

'Sneha Chitra' is a banner which is known for revolutionary films. Its founder R Narayana Murthy had produced several films on the banner, highlighting the problems faced by the laborers and the working class who are being cheated by the influential persons and politicians. His latest film 'Adavi Biddalu' deals with Adivasis. R Narayana Murthy is a versatile personality and he himself provided story, screenplay, music and direction besides producing the film. Above all, he played the lead role in the film and the film is aimed at a particular group of audience as usual. Those who wanted to watch his films should not go for mere entertainment but to see how he highlighted the problems of the suffering class.

Ramakanth (R Narayana Murthy) is an IAS officer. He is the project officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency, which looks after the welfare of Girijans and Adivasis. A person comes to the area and eyes the vast stretch of forest land and hatches a plan to grab it. The Adivasis used to cultivate land in the forest through Podu cultivation and they don't have any pattas for those lands. That land-grabber used to lend money to the tribals and gets the land mortgaged to him. He also collects most of the crop produce they raise in the form of interest. Though he is not a tribal, he made the officials to believe that he is also a tribal and gets elected as MLA.

In this backdrop, the government decides to construct Rampa dam, a multi-purpose project that could provide irrigation facility to lakhs of acres, besides supply drinking water. The government seeks a feasibility report from the ITDA PO. However Ramakanth makes it clear in his report that the construction of the dam would adversely affect thousands of tribal families as they can't get compensation in the absence of proper pattas for the land they are cultivating. Even those who possess the land pattas had mortgaged their land to money-lenders. In his report he clearly appeals to the government to first arrange land pattas to tribals and ensure return of the pattas that were mortgaged with the money lenders, before starting the dam construction. However, the local MLA uses all his political influence and gets the government nod for the construction of the dam.

In order to safeguard the tribal rights, Ramakanth himself joins the tribals and launches an agitation against the construction of the dam. He sets up Girijana Hakkula Sangham to wage war against the construction of the dam. However, the politicians decide to crush the movement at any cost and appoint a rude police officer as Officer on Special Duty called Gautam. With the police assistance, the politicians were able to complete the construction of the dam. But at the time of its inauguration, Ramakanth and his team blast the dam foiling all their attempts. Before they escape, the police corner them and hang Ramakanth in the forest itself in order to threaten the tribals from taking up such agitations in future. But, the tribals get united and kill Gautam, the land-grabber MLA and other political activists.

As per the World Water Forum resolution, those who suffer losses like land, houses and employment due to the construction of multi-purpose water projects should be the first beneficiaries after the construction of dams. However, the purpose is not being served in the present day scenario. As a result, the Adivasis, who were eking their livelihood on forests, were losing a lot due to the construction of these dams. Narayana Murthy tried to focus light on the issue. It is not known whether his film serve any purpose. But, he keeps making such films to enlighten people. There are 11 songs in the film and all of them are like revolutionary songs. However, there is no novelty in the narration of the film and they looked like all his earlier films.

Cast: R Narayana Mu