| Thilaadanam | |
| Starring: | H. G. Dattatreya Brahmaji Tanikella Bharani Jaya Seal |
| Director: | K. N. T. Sastry |
| Story: | Rentala Nageswara Rao |
| Screenplay: | K. N. T. Sastry |
| Producer: | P. Parameswaran |
| Cinematography: | Sunny Joseph |
| Editing: | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Studio: | National Film Development Corporation |
| Runtime: | 1hr 29min |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Telugu |
| Music: | L. Vaidyanathan |
Thiladaanam (The Rite... A Passion) is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language drama film, written and directed by film-critic K. N. T. Sastry in his debut directorial,[1] based on the story by Rentala Nageswara Rao.[2] The film features H. G. Dattatreya, Brahmaji, Tanikella Bharani, and Jaya Seal in pivotal roles.[1] [3]
Upon release, the film received positive reviews "For its juxtaposition of two diverse ideologies existing within the same family – the father's belief in his religion and traditions and his son's revolutionary ideology. The film strikes a very fine balance in inter-generational explorations", winning the Best First Film of a Director at the 49th National Film Awards.[4] Thiladaanam is the only Indian film to be honored with the New Currents Award at the 7th Busan International Film Festival.[5]
It was featured in Indian Panorama section at the 33rd International Film Festival of India,[6] and Retrospective at the New York Indian Film Festival.[7]
Subbaiah is an outcast Brahmin priest living out of Tiladaanam (a Hindu ritual of giving sesame seeds as alms, which transfers the giver's sins to the receiver), the meanest form of Brahmin duty. He ekes out his living in Hyderabad, by becoming a corpse-carrier, and carrying out funeral rites. His son is a Naxalite, and his daughter-in-law, Padma, is living with him. His son Raghuram, makes a clandestine visit home during his child's birth. In search of Raghuram the anti-Naxalite team ransack Subhaiah's house. However, Raghuram escapes the police firing, killing a cop in the process. Raghuram surrenders to the cops so that his family can make a living with the government compensation. Shocked by his surrender Subbaiah dies of the trauma, while Padma awaits in vain for the compensation.