| Apthamitra | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | P. Vasu |
| Screenplay by | P. Vasu |
| Story by | Madhu Muttam |
| Based on | Manichitrathazhu |
| Produced by | Dwarakish |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Ramesh Babu |
| Edited by | N. P. Satish |
| Music by | Gurukiran |
Production company | Dwarakish Chithra |
Release date |
|
Running time | 146 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
| Budget | ₹3 crores [1] |
| Box office | ₹12—20 crores[1][2][3] |
Apthamitra (transl. Close friend) is a 2004 Indian Kannada-language Psychological horror action film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Dwarakish. It stars Vishnuvardhan, Soundarya and Ramesh Arvind in the lead roles, while Prema, Dwarakish and Avinash appear in supporting roles. The film is a remake of Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu with some plot changes.[4][5] The film was released on 27 August 2004.[6][7] It marks the posthumous film for Soundarya in Kannada, released after her death on 17 April 2004.
Apthamitra ran for 365 days in theaters across Karnataka and was the highest ever grossing Kannada movie at that time and was an industry hit. The plot changes from the original film were retained in the Tamil film Chandramukhi (2005). The film was later followed by its sequel titled Aptharakshaka (2010).[8][9]
- ^ a b Pillai, Sreedhar (31 December 2004). "Year 2004 — a flashback". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "2004 Year Round Up". chitraloka.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Gandhinagar Gossip". The Hindu. 20 July 2006. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ "Ramesh Aravind gets nostalgic as Apthamitra completes 16 years". The Times of India. 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ Raj, Amal (6 August 2024). "31 years of 'Manichitrathazhu': A legacy set for its re-release". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "'I may be the villain, hero or comedian'". Bangalore Mirror. 18 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "We list down 5 Bollywood movies which found their inspiration down south". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "I miss Vishnuvardhan: Malavika Avinash". The Times of India. 27 May 2015. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ Ram, Arun (25 October 2004). "Remake ripples". India Today. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.