Shivam (2015 film)

Casting

Reports emerged in May 2013 of Upendras signing for the film, then titled Basavanna and that Srinivasa Raju would be directing it. The report said the film however, would not be based on the life of the 12th century A.D. Indian social reformer Basavanna. Ragini Dwivedis casting as the first female lead was confirmed in June 2013, her second opposite Upendra, after Arakshaka (2012). Saloni Aswani, who was cast opposite Upendra in Budhivanta (2008) and Dubai Babu (2009) was signed as the second female lead in July 2013.

Filming

The muhurat shot of the film was taken at the Bangalore Palace on May 15, 2014. Filming began in June 2013, at the Dodda Ganeshana Gudi, a temple in the Basavanagudi locality of Bangalore. It required that Upendra sport a bald head in the film, and instead of the head being shaved, prosthetics were used, considering that he was simultaneously filming with another film that did not require the look. The 3-D effects used in making it was the first for an Indian film and costed around ?90 lakh (US$140,000). Parts of the shooting were completed in India, Sweden, Thailand and Turkey. The shooting schedule in India was however delayed by over a month, owing to delay in getting official permission for filming at the temple site in Thanjavur. The Indian schedule also included filming in Chennai, Mysore, Melukote and Bangalore. The song sequences were then filmed in places like Istanbul and Antalya in Turkey, and Cyprus. Speaking of Upendras dialogues and screen time in the film, Raju said, "Upendra has very less dialogues in this film, thats quite a change from what people have seen of him on screen so far." and said that he would feature in the bald look for 40 minutes in the film. Filming completed in May 2014, and the film producer was said to have contemplated its release on September 18, 2014, on the occasion of Upendras birthday, which however did not materialise. The work on dubbing was complete at the Balaji Digital Studio in Bangalore in late October 2014.

Title controversy

Following the announcement of the film and during the pre-production stages, the film titled Hara Hara Mahadev. Following a discussion by the makers, it was titled Basavanna. This proved controversial causing an uproar in the Lingayat community in Karnataka, as the name suggested a reference to the Lingayatism pioneer and social reformer Basava, referred to commonly as Basavanna. The issue was raised at the Karnataka Legislative Assembly by former Chief Minister of Karnataka, B. S. Yeddyurappa, who urged that the title be changed. Following this, the director on deciding to title the film Brahmana was refused permission by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) and was immediately withdrawn. The producers then decided the release the film theatrically without a title. The film posters then emerged with a symbol of Nandi, a bull, believed to be the vehicle of the mythological Indian Hindu deity Shiva, and Upendra sitting in dhyana mudra, the spiritual gesture of meditation, like an ascetic. Having been rejected by the KFCC again, sections of the Kannada film industry began calling it Naama and Trinetra, before the film was titled Shivam, which the Regional Board of Film Certification accepted in mid-November 2014.

Marketing

The first look poster was launched on May 13, 2014, two days prior to the muhurat shot. It featured a person seated in Chin Mudra posture with a pistol by his side. The poster became controversial and immediately drew the attention of the media, following which the Manohar promised that the forthcoming posters would not feature the pistol. The motion poster of it was released on YouTube. Following this, posters were released featuring Upendra with a bald head brandishing a sword. They were followed by title-less posters featuring Upendra in dhyana mudra with a symbol of Nandi by his side and another featuring three horizontal lines of Vibhuti with deity Shivas third eye vertically across them. The film trailer was released on November 30, 2014, on the occasion of the films audio release in Bangalore.

Music

Background score for the film and soundtracks were composed by Mani Sharma, with lyrics for the soundtracks written by K. Kalyan and V. Nagendra Prasad. The album was released on November 30, 2014, in Bangalore. It consists of six tracks.

Release and response

The film was given the "U/A" (Parental Guidance) certificate by the Regional Censor Board, after making 25 cuts in the film, trimming it by four minutes. The censored part included scenes featuring dialogues on religion and the demolition of Indian temples in the past.

Critical reception

Upon theatrical release, the film received positive to mixed reviews from critics. G. S. Kumar of The Times of India reviewed the film giving it a rating of 3.5/5 and felt that the film was "armed with a lively script". He credited the dialogues in the films and the role of cinematography and music. Of Upendras performance, he wrote, "Its Upendra all the way, who steals the show with a brilliant performance." S. Viswanath of Deccan Herald gave it a rating of three out of five and wrote, "Over the top, full paisa vasool. Thats Shivam for you. If a fan of Real Star, there’s double treat." He added writing praises of the performances of Upendra and Ragini Dwivedi and concluded, "Shivam, is one rollicking, riotous Uppi show, sending fans into hysterical frenzy." Shyam Prasad S. of Bangalore Mirror rated the film 3/5 and called the film "pro-religion" adding that "[the]...hero mouths all the relevant shlokas and quotes religious texts in Sanskrit when his credentials to become a priest are questioned." Without giving a clear verdict, he concluded writing, "The film may please a large section and rake in the moolah. The crowd is happy to see someone finally speak on screen what has become the talk on the street. Welcome to a religiously awakened Sandalwood." Writing for The New Indian Express, A. Sharadhaa felt that "unlike the edgy thriller, falls into a complete masala category." and added that "[The] hero-villain cat and mouse chase, strong dialogues, Upendra’s dramatic avatars, item songs and graphic violence form the essence of the film." She credited the performance of Upendra and the "screenplay saves the film somewhat as events unfold logically." IBNLive in its review gave the film a 1.5/5 rating and said it tests the watchers "patience". It added that the films plot was "cliched" with a "misshapen screenplay" and that the music was "bland". Shashiprasad S. M. of Deccan Chronicle rated the film 1.5/5 and wrote, "Neither the script work is good or the making."