Geethanjali (1989)

Tollywood Picture Spotlite: Geethanjali (1989).

Geethanjali is a National Award winning 1989 Telugu Film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film opens on a college convocation day where Prakash (Nagarjuna) a carefree, mischievous guy is enjoying himself when he suddenly meets with an accident. Although the accident is only minor, during medical tests, he is diagnosed with terminal cancer and has no chance of survival more than a few months. Unable to hear his mother's constant crying, he packs his bags and leaves to live in his family's vacation home in Ooty for a few weeks. There he meets a girl, Geethanjali (Girija Shettar) who enjoys playing pranks on people around her. When she tries to pull the same prank on Prakash, who is already ready for this, it backfires as he pulls a bigger prank on her by dressing himself as a vampire and along with aerial wire stunts, scares her. After being unsuccessful in scaring Prakash away, Geethanjali forms another plan in which she complains to her grandmother by saying that Prakash had asked her (Geethanjali) to elope with him. Furious at this knowledge, Geethanjali's grandmother confronts Prakash about it. Though Prakash tries his best to explain the truth, Geethanjali's grandmother chides him and began to humiliate him in the presence of the public. Irritated with Geethanjali's pranks, Prakash, drives her away and leaves her in some far off place. Later when he comes to know that Geethanjali had not reached home even after dusk he gets worried and goes in search of her. When he brings her back, her grandmother scolds him for doing such an act with Geethanjali as it can worsen her health condition. Curious to know, Prakash enquires about her condition. He is shocked when he finds out that she too has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He was suprised at the way she is spending her life happily even after knowing about her illness. Slowly, he falls in love with her. Initially she rejects him but one thing leads to another and then even she falls in love with him. But suddenly, she comes to know about Prakash's condition and tries to stay away from him as she could not bear seeing him die. Rest of the story forms how, Prakash and Geethanjali are united.