This without any doubt is one of the best telugu movies ever made and for that matter probably one of the best in the history of Indian cinema. Fantastic writing, fine camera work, great music and brilliant performances make this a timeless masterpiece. K.Viswanath is a great director, one of those few directors out there who can make some absolutely brilliant stuff. This one keeps you completely hooked from the beginning till the end. Absolutely class film making. One important thing which always plays a key role in the film is music and ilayaraja nails it for sure. Some great music blend with brilliant scenes keeps the film live all the time. By 'great music' i mean songs as well as the background score. And what makes this film even great is the brilliant performance of kamal hassan. Sheer brilliance in every scene. His performance makes you laugh and it makes you cry. This film was an official entry for the academy awards in 1986 from India. I just don't understand why it didn't make it to the Oscars. 'Forrest gump' (1994) won all the major categories at the academy awards that year. It was also about a mentally immature man played by tom hanks. But swathi muthyam was out way before 'forrest gump' and never falls behind at any point compared to 'forrest gump' except for visual effects. It really deserves the Oscar nod.

This is another great film from Vishwanath and Kamal Hassan. It's very different from Sagara Sangamam, but equal as good. I've spent most of my 18 year existence watching western films and hoped one-day India could achieve some realistic films with a good story. Instead of the banal plots: hero loves girl, girls get kidnapped and hero saves her from the evil villain. Then one of my friends recommended this film. The only word for it is : BEAUTIFUL.The story is of mentally slow man, whose life is recapped to his grand-daughter. How he meets his wife (who was a widow), earns his living and fights the injustice he and his wife face. Superb acting, especially Kamal Hassan and for once in Indian films the songs fit nicely into the sequence of the film. All in all a great film and a real credit to Indian cinema.