“It was June 25, 1975 and the last day of filming Chanda Marutha (Wild Wind), a film that my parents, Pattabhirama Reddy and Snehalatha Reddy, made in this emergency,” recounts Nandana Reddy, 50 years after the film was made.
There was a sense of relief when the shooting was completed, comments Nanadana. “At the same time, there was also an inexplicable sense of anxiety. By noon, the news comes that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has imposed a state of emergency.
Chanda Marutha was released in 1977 after the Emergency was lifted and general elections were announced in the country. This bilingual film, known in English as Thunderstorm, is still celebrated for its anti-authoritarian stance and attracted audiences for its strong political and social themes.
The film, which starred Snehalatha Reddy, Ashok Mandanna, C Chandrashekar, M Bhaktavatsala, E Surendranath, MP Bhaskaran and others including Nandana Reddy, has music by Konark Reddy (son of Pattabhiram), Cinematography by Tom Cowan and was edited by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
Resistance symbol
Historians see Chanda Marutha as a symbol of resistance, and it is considered an important work in Kannada cinema, continuing the legacy Pattabhirama established with Samskara , his previous path-breaking film.
Nandana Reddy Chanda Marutha
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Chanda Marutha is based on Kranti Bantu Kranti (The Revolution Has Arrived), a play by P Lankesha published in 1971. “Written at a time when ideologies like socialism, communism and revolution were at their peak, the play continues to echo the complexities of the contemporary political and social landscape,” notes Nataraj Huliyar, editor of The Lankesha Reader and The Sour Mango Tree.
The play examines the way powerful individuals use death and suffering to their advantage, says Nataraj. “Through its narrative, Kranti Bantu Kranti depicts how people perform social work, the system and opportunistic elites.”
Hard hit
Chanda Marutha left an indelible impression on Nandana Reddy, as her family was among the worst hit during the crash. “My parents were socialists, greatly influenced by Ram Manohar Lohia, and our house, popularly known as 20B, was an open house at the end of a sliver of St. Mark’s Road. We didn’t lock the front door, and artists, musicians, writers, photographers, politicians of all stripes, (from the far right to the right) who were suitable.
Nandana recalls the terrifying witch hunt. “There was a loud knock on our front door at midnight. I was home alone in my pajamas and about 10 plainclothes detectives (cod) officers and police officers came in. They were breaking shelves, pulling out telephone wires and throwing things around. I felt like they were enacting what they saw in the movies.”
Ashok Mandanna and Snehalatha Reddy Chanda Marutha
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The officers asked Nandana about her parents. “When I said they were in Madras, they made me wait for the jeep. I heard them in their car; they had also taken Lawrence Fernandes (George Fernandes’ brother) from his home in Richmond town.”
She says the emergency still haunts Konark and her. “We lost our mother Snehalatha, who was an innocent victim, like thousands of others. Unfortunately, there is no balm for these wounds.”
Snehalatha Reddy was arrested on 2 May 1976 in the Baroda Dynamite case involving George Fernandes, solely because of her friendship with him. She was not named in the final ChargeSheet and was released on 15 January 1977 as her health had deteriorated. She died five days later at the age of 51.
A mirror to life
Recalling its making, Huli Chandrashekar, associate director Chanda Marurtha said, “Apart from being an associate director, I play an ‘educated thief’ in the film. My encounter with the revolutionary hero played by Ashok Mandanna, who is based on George Fernandes, is the climax of the film.”
Tom Cowan and Pattabhi during the shooting of Chanda Marutha
| Photo credit: Special Arrangement
“I received a postcard from Lankesh asking me to help with Pattabhiram and I joined the crew. I was a part of Chanda Marutha from the very beginning and our association continued till Pattabhiram’s last film, Devara Kaadu .
According to Chandrashekar, the shooting for Chanda Marutha began in 1972. “The film was shot in 16mm and blown up to 35mm. It was a pleasure working with Pattabhiram and during the pre-production of the film, important personalities including ur Ananthamurthy, George Fernandes, Madhu Dandavate and other socialist friends would drop by and participate in the discussion.
“When Snehalatha was arrested, I would visit her in jail and it worried me to see her health failing,” says Chandrashekar.
Published – September 02, 2025 12:44 PM IST
