Nagathihalli Chandrashekar’s directorial America America — released on April 11, 1997 — completed its silver jubilee. The actors and technicians of the superhit romantic drama came together to celebrate 25 years of success at an event held in Bengaluru. The movie starred Ramesh Aravind, Hema Panchamukhi, and Akshay Anand in lead roles. During the event, the team recalled their association and the memorable experience of working on the film. Director Nagathihalli said that the idea of making America America came about in 1990, and the film was extensively shot in the USA.
Ramesh Aravind, on the other hand, thanked the director and said that it remains one of the signature films of his career. “It is not possible to make America America again. It is a signature film in my career. Surya, the character I played is universal and carries a lot of emotions. I didn’t know much about shooting abroad. Nagathichalli Chandrashekhar narrated the role and I liked it,” he said.
Producer Nandakumar also mentioned that, unlike in the past, it is very difficult to shoot in America today as there are a lot of restrictions. Hema Panchamukhi, who played the female lead said, “The makers wanted to finalise a heroine residing in the USA for this film, however, the commercial terms didn’t work out and that’s how she came into the picture. Akshay Anand, who felt honoured to be part of the gathering, said that some films can never be repeated, and that is the case with America America. He also mentioned that it was Ramesh Aravind, who picked him for the role.
The romantic drama revolves around three characters — Surya, Shashank, and Bhoomi — and was the first Kannada film to be released in the USA. It has cinematography by Sunny Joseph. This film gave birth to the likes of musician Mano Murthy and singer Rajesh Krishnan. Songs like Nooru Janmaku and Yaava Mohana Murali are evergreen hits. The film also featured C R Simha Shivaram, Dattanna, and Vaishali Kasaravalli in pivotal roles.