Katha Sangama

<p>A poor university professor with high moral values and integrity who is offered a bribe from a wealthy contractor to push some grace marks to his son in his exam paper so that he could get enough percentage to qualify for a medical college. This happens just when the professor’s young son is critically ill and requires expensive medical treatment. Whether the professor succumbs to the circumstances or he let go of his integrity forms the crux of the story. When a middle-aged woman Leelavathi, who is the warden of a girls hostel, was younger she had refused to marry Sadanand, who loved her, because of her ideals about feminism. She had even decided to say unmarried her entire life. A chance encounter with Sadanand, now happily married to someone else, makes her question her earlier decision of not accepting true love. A revenue inspector Chennappa marries a blind girl from the neighbouring district Munithayi out of pity. In his absence, she is raped by an adolescent youth Kondaji and later blackmailed by Thimmaraya. Chennappa eventually “forgives” Munithayi. The uncredited cast includes , who plays Kamala, in . The film was based on three short stories: by Giraddi Govindaraj, by Veena and by Eshwara Chandra. The film was released on 23 January 1976 to positive reception. The Tamil film (1984) was an extended version of the segment from . Rajinikanth, who played the antagonist role, played the lead role in the Tamil version. The antagonist role was also an inspiration for Rajinikanth’s characterisation in the Tamil film (1977) directed by debutant , who was an assistant director to Puttanna Kanagal for .</p>