Malaya Marutha (1986)

A revivalist melodrama in which the artistic soul of a music guru, killed in a road accident, migrates into the aspiring, but hopeless, musician Vishwa (Vishnuvardhan), turning him into a virtuoso capable of realising the guru’s dreams. Vishwa is torn between the guru’s daughter Sharada (Saritha) and Girija (Madhavi), a popular dancer whose father (Dinesh) exploits Vishwa’s talent. Vishwa embarks on building a music college with Sharada’s help. Girija donates all her money to the cause, but whenVishwa loses his voice, Sharada teaches him to regain it. An interesting twist to the story is that since Vishwa is the extension of Sharada’s father, his relationship with her has incestuous overtones, which the film displaces by suggesting she might be a goddess and having Vishwa marry the selfsacrificing Girija.