Sandalwood

5 Classic Movies – Played Key Role in Uplift of Sandalwood

Ansgar
June 26, 2025
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The Kannada film industry, which is also known as Sandalwood, has given Indian cinema many powerful and meaningful films for the past many decades.

Over the years, some classic movies have not only won the hearts of audiences but they also helped in uplifting and sculpting the quality of Sandalwood films. These movies brought name, fame, and pride to Kannada cinema. Here are the top 5 classic movies that made a strong impact:

Bangarada Manushya (1972)

This particular movie become, one of the biggest turning points in Sandalwood. The movie Starring famous sandalwood actor Dr. Rajkumar, it told the story of a man who leaves the city and returns to his village to work hard and inspire others.

The film gave a strong social message and became a blockbuster. It ran for more than two years in theatres and encouraged many people to return to farming.

Nagarahavu (1972)

Directed by legendary director Puttanna Kanagal and based on a novel, this film became a trendsetter. It introduced Vishnuvardhan, who later became a superstar of sandalwood.

With bold storytelling, emotional depth, and his own style of direction, Nagarahavu proved that Kannada cinema could compete with other big film industries in India.

Samskara (1970)

This movie is known for its very artistic and bold approach towards the cinema industry. It was based on a novel written by U.R. Ananthamurthy and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.

Moreover Samskara brought global attention to Sandalwood and showed the world that Kannada films could be intellectual and meaningful.

Bhakta Prahlada (1967)

As one of the earliest mythological films in Kannada, Bhakta Prahlada played a major role in connecting cinema with Indian’s own tradition and values. It was a grand success and showed cinema lovers that devotional films could also be made with a great quality and also creativity.

Om (1995)

Though not very old, Om is now considered as a cult classic of kannada movies. Directed by Upendra and starring Shivarajkumar, it focused on underworld and real-life incidents happened in Bengaluru. And this special movie brought a whole new style to Sandalwood and influenced many future films in Kannada and other languages.