00:00Released on May 19, 1995, Oom is a cult classic Kannada crime drama directed by Upendra,
00:07starring Shiva Rajkumar and Prema. It follows Satya, a priest's son who enters Bangalore's
00:13underworld for love. It pioneered the gangster genre in sandalwood and broke numerous box office
00:18records. Unique production facts. Upendra cast real-life Bangalore underworld figures,
00:24such as Jetarihali Krishnapa, Bakina Kanu Rajendra, Karangu, and Tanvir, to bring authenticity,
00:31with some even temporarily bailed out just to shoot their scenes. It is widely recognized as
00:36the first full-fledged mainstream film in Kannada cinema to explore the criminal underworld and
00:41mafia genre. For a long time, the movie's satellite and television rights were deliberately withheld
00:47or not sold, keeping it strictly a theatrical phenomenon. Oom holds a legendary record in
00:52Indian cinema for being re-released hundreds of times over decades, often filling single-screen
00:57theaters in Karnataka whenever new movie releases fail. At the 1995-96 Karnataka State Film Awards,
01:04the film won Best Actor, Shiva Rajkumar, Best Actress, Prema, Best Screenplay, Upendra,
01:11and Best Cinematographer, B.C. Gorishankar. The film inspired the unofficial 1999 Hindi movie,
01:18Arjun Pundit starring Sunny Dayal. It paved the way for a whole wave of mafia and rowdy-themed
01:24action-drama films in the Kannada film industry.
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