Aakali Rajyam

Aakali Rajyam
Promotional Poster
Directed by	K. Balachander
Starring	Kamal Haasan Sridevi J V Ramana Murthi
Music by	M.S.Viswanathan
Release date	1981
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Aakali Rajyam (Hunger's Kingdom) is a 1981 Telugu-language film starring Kamal Haasan and Sridevi directed by K. Balachander. It was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Varumayin Niram Sivappu, released the year before. The film was remade in Hindi as Zara Si Zindagi with Kamal Haasan and Anita Raj in 1983, directed by K. Balachander himself. Kamal Haasan won Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu for Aakali Rajyam.This film is actually the dubbed version of the Tamil film, while some scenes were re-shot like the JV Ramana Murthi's scene.

The film dwells on the premises of social satire and through its characters (the young unemployed graduates) critically analyzes the state of Indian polity and social situation.

Kamal Hassan comes to Delhi in search of a job and finds it difficult to earn one job without bribes, recommendations or using influence. He follows the words of Sri Sri. He criticizes the government for not providing jobs and health and basic amenities to the public. He and his friends share a room and they live in abject conditions such as staying hungry for more than a day and wearing torn clothes. He meets Sridevi, who is his neighbor, and soon they fall in love. As the story proceeds, misunderstandings crop up between the duo. Eventually, Kamal settles as barber and gets married to Sridevi at the end.