Santosham (Telugu: సంతోషం, English translation: Happiness) is a Telugu romantic comedy film which was written and directed by debutant Dasaradh. The film stars Akkineni Nagarjuna and Shriya Saran making her second release in Telugu after Ishtam in lead with Gracy Singh making her debut in Telugu cinema industry after her lead role in Hindi film Lagaan while Prabhu Deva making his comeback to Telugu cinema after a long gap in an extended cameo appearance. The movie was well received by critics and owing to its success at the box office, it was dubbed in Tamil Santhosha Vanille and was also dubbed in Hindi as Pehli Naazar ka Pehla Pyaar.

The film was remade in Bengali as Bondhon starring Jeet and Koyel.

Plot[link]

Karthik (Nagarjuna) is a rich architect in Ooty. He falls in love with Padhu (Gracy Singh). Padmavathi takes her own sweet time to accept Karthik's love. Padmavathi has a cute cousin sister Bhanu (Shriya). Bhanu encourages their love and gives courage to Padhu. When Padhu reveals about her love, her father Rama Chandraiah (K. Viswanath) resists and asks her to marry the guy he has chosen for her. Padhu flees from home and marries Karthik. Padmavathi is very eager to get back to her parents and get their blessings. Karthik and Padmavathi migrate to New Zealand and they give birth to a kid named Lucky. Padhu dies in an accident. Rama Chandraiah has a very big joint family. A few of the family members opine that inviting Karthik and his kid for a marriage to be happened at their place would give an opportunity to get a closer look at Lucky. When Karthik visits Rama Chandraiah's place he gets mixed responses from different people in the house. Rama Chandraiah doesn't like Karthik and others like him. Over a period of time, Karthik impresses them all and when he was about to go back to New Zealand, Rama Chandraiah expresses his repentance for whatever happened and says that he is accepting Karthik as his son-in-law. Bhanu has fallen in love with Karthik. She meets Karthik, a widower now. She still has feelings for him. But at the same time, there is Pawan (Prabhu Deva) - a childhood friend of Bhanu - who is deeply in love with her. Karthik returns to New Zealand. Bhanu along with Pawan visits Karthik. During that period Bhanu gets closer to Karthik. When Karthik realizes the intentions of Bhanu, he fixes Pawan as the fiancée for her. Now Bhanu is about to get married to Pawan. Bhanu loves Karthik, but Karthik hesitates to repeat the history by marrying a girl against the wishes of her family. Just as Karthik is about to leave for good with his son, Rama Chandraiah stops him from leaving and pleads him to marry Bhanu. Also, Pawan comes and pleads Karthik to marry Bhanu as he can tell that Bhanu is not happy about the marriage. The film has a happy ending with Karthik and Bhanu marrying.

Cast[link]

• Akkineni Nagarjuna as Karthikeya alias Karthik. Karthik is a well-placed architect in Ooty. He falls in love with Padmavathi , an IT intern. Padmavathi takes her own sweet time to accept Karthik's love. After, Padmavathi faces trouble from her family, she and Karthik runaway from their home and get migrated to New Zealand to set up a family together. Soon, after Padmavathi dies in a road accident, Karthik lives in a painful and sorrowful life, only happy because of his son Lucky. When Karthik visits Rama Chandraiah's village to attend the engagement of Padmavathi's another cousin he gets mixed responses from different people in the house. Rama Chandraiah doesn't like Karthik and others like him. Over a period of time, Karthik impresses them all and when he was about to go back to New Zealand, Rama Chandraiah expresses his repentance for whatever happened and says that he is accepting Karthik as his son-in-law. Bhanu has fallen in love with Karthik at first sight way back when she went to meet Padmavathi at Ooty. At that time she was not aware that Karthik was the same guy with whom Padmavathi was in love. She meets Karthik, a widower now. She continues having feelings for him. But at the same time, there is Pawan a childhood fiend of Bhanu who is deeply in love with her. Karthik returns to New Zealand. Bhanu along with Pawan visits Karthik. They were there to write MS examinations. During that period Bhanu gets closer to Karthik. When Karthik realizes the intentions of Bhanu, he fixes Pawan as the fiancée for her.

• Shriya Saran as Bhanu. She is the cousin of Padmavathi, the daughter of Chandra Mohan and Sudha and the niece of Rama Chandraiah. She is the student of MBBS. While visiting her cousin, Bhanu eventually falls for Karthik who he misunderstand as his Boss's daughter but after knowing that he is deeply in love with Padmavathi she take it sportively and encourages their love and gives courage to Padmavathi to leave her home and get marry with Karthik. After meeting Kathik who is a widower now she fall again for him and also gets well with his son Lucky. Unfortunately, a wedding is arranged between Bhanu and Pawan who is Bhanu's childhood friend.

• Gracy Singh as Padmavathi alias Padhu. She is the daughter of Rama Chandraiah and gives importance to her father's family value. While attending IT convection in Ooty she was proposed by Karthik, she rejects concerning about her family's pride. But soon falls for him for his loyalty towards their love. She runs away from her family who oppose her love resulting break up relationship with her family and weds Karthik. Later on, she migrate to New Zealand and give birth to a baby boy named Lucky. She died in a hospital because of severe road accident in nearby her residency.

• Prabhu Deva as Pawan. Is the family friend of Bhanu's mother Sudha and a childhood friend of Bhanu. Later on he wants to marry Bhanu as their relationship get wider. Soon unite Bhanu and Kathik with Rama Chandraiah permission.

• K. Viswanath as Rama Chandraiah. He is the head of his village Venkatapalem, a village in West Godavari district. He gave important to family values and maintenance of village tradition. When his daughter Padmavathi runaway from his house to marry Karthik, he broke relationship with her and urge other family members to do so.

• Master Akshay as Lucky. He is the son of Karthik and late Padmavathi but bonds well with Bhanu. He is also one of the factor that makes Rama Chandraiah to accept Karthik as his son-in-law.

Awards[link]

• This film won Nandi Awards for the Best Actor & Best Film categories.
• This film won Filmfare Best Film award in Telugu, for 2002
• R.P. Patnaik won the Filmfare Best Music Director Award

Crew[link]

• Gopimohan ... Screenplay
• Peter Hein ... Stunts

External links[link]

• Santosham at the Internet Movie Database
• Santosham Movie Profile at Poochandi