Antha is a 1981 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film directed by S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu. The film stars Ambareesh, Lakshmi, Jayamala and Latha in lead roles. The film went on to become a huge success and is viewed as a milestone in Ambareesh's career. The careers of both Ambareesh and Jayamala got a boost after this movie. Director Babu had considered Vishnuvardhan to play the double role initially but decided against it since the nature of the torture scenes would go against his superstar image and not be accepted by his fans. Babu decided to approach Rajanikanth instead who was well known for playing a wide variety of negative roles. When he could not get his dates, Babu decided to cast his best friend Ambareesh who had just started graduating from villain roles to hero roles around that time. The story is based on H. K. Ananth Rao's serial of the same name published in the Kannada weekly magazine Sudha. It was remade in Tamil as Thyagi, in Telugu as Antham Kadidi Aarambam, and in Hindi as Meri Aawaz Suno.
Plot
Inspector Sushil Kumar is an honest Police Officer; he has a happy life with his wife Sunitha, who is pregnant and his mother. Kanwar Lal is a smuggler, gangster, cold-blooded murderer, a rough and tough man who looks like Sushil, who is at present in prison under life imprisonment. Kanwar Lal is a very important person in a dangerous gang which is creating destruction in the country. CBI officials make a plan to send Sushil in the place of Kanwar to catch those dangerous gangsters who have high-level influence in the society; Sushil decides to take up the job by informing his family that he is going to special duty. Sushil changes his getup as Kanwar and creates an image that Kanwar has run away from the jail and finally he succeeds in joining the gang and starts collecting information regarding them. Even when Sushil's mother dies due to heart attack, he is not in a position go because of his secret and he controls himself for the sake of his country. While being with the villains, he confronts his lost sister Shoba, who by circumstances is forced to perform a cabaret number. Both are unable to bear the pain by looking at each other and his sister commits suicide in front of him and the villains. Sushil was unable to save or acknowledge his sister fearing of his identity and purpose, he again controls himself for the sake of his country. He finally succeeds in his mission of collecting all the secrets of the gang including higher officials of the government with evidence, but in the last minute they come to know that he is a police officer, but he safeguards the evidence he has collected. They keep him in their custody and torture him, finally they kidnap Sunitha and they kill her who is carrying a baby before him, even then he wouldn’t reveal the secret. At last he escapes from them and reaches the higher officials with evidence, but they also cheat him, then Sushil decides to take revenge against all of them, he removes all the anti-social elements and evil in the society and surrenders himself before the Judiciary with evidence and asks for Justice; there ends the film.
Cast
Ambareesh as Inspector Sushil Kumar and Kanwar Lal
Lakshmi as Sunitha, Sushil's wife
Jayamala as Shobha, Sushil's sister turned cabaret dancer
When the film submitted to Indian Censor Board for certification, the board denied to give any certificate. Censor advised to delete the torture scene of Ambareesh. But director Rajendra Singh Babu stated that it is necessary to the story. Then Censor delayed giving a certificate for the film. The film also involved in an controversy for its depiction of politicians. Ultimately the censor passed the film with A Certificate sans any cuts or muted dialogues.
Sequels and remakes
The film was remade in Tamil as Thyagi, in Telugu as Antham Kadidi Aarambam, and Rajendra Singh Babu directed the Hindi remake Meri Aawaz Suno. Sudeep announced in 2010 that he would direct the remake of the film with himself in the lead role. However, the project got shelved. Upendra made a sequel for the film called Operation Antha, with Ambareesh repeating his character.
Legacy
The film became a breakthrough in the career of Ambareesh, who went on to become one of the top actors in Kannada film industry. The dialogue from the film "Kutte, Kanwar Nahi Kanwarlal Bolo" became a famous catchphrase. The Times of India included the film in their list "Top 5 films of Ambareesh". Ambareesh reprised the character of Kanwarlal in Thipparelli Tharlegalu also directed by Rajendra Singh Babu.
