Salaam Venky (transl. Salute to you, Venky) is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language slice-of-life drama film directed by Revathi.[1] The film is produced by Connekkt Media along with Suraj Singh and Shraddha Agrawal through their banners, Blive Productions and RTake Studios, respectively. Starring Kajol and Vishal Jethwa (as the title character) in the lead roles, the film is centered around the true story of a mother who does everything she can to let her son, diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, live life to the fullest. The film is based on the book The Last Hurrah[2] by Shrikanth Murthy, which is based on the real-life events of Kolavennu Venkatesh and his mother, K. Sujata.[3]

Salaam Venky
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRevathi
Screenplay by
Story byShrikant Murthy
Based onThe Last Hurrah
by Shrikant Murthy
Produced by
  • Connekkt Media
  • Suraj Singh
  • Shraddha Agrawal
  • Varsha Kukreja
Starring
CinematographyRavi Varman
Edited byManan Ajay Sagar
Music byMithoon
Production
companies
  • Connekkt Media
  • Blive Productions
  • RTake Studios
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing International
Release date
  • 9 December 2022 (2022-12-09)
Running time
136 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

The film was announced on 7 October 2021 by Revathi and Kajol. Principal photography began on 11 February 2022; the first schedule took place in Mumbai.[4] The film was theatrically released on 9 December 2022.[5]

Plot

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Diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Venkatesh is supposed to be sick and die by the age of 16. Instead, his zest for life, determination, and soaring human spirit surprise medical science. The ever-smiling Venkatesh wants to donate his organs before he leaves this world. At 24-years-old, he challenges the state, and the law of the country and earns his place in the hearts of people.

Cast

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Production

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The film was announced in October 2021, tentatively titled The Last Hurrah. The announcement consisted of a picture of the lead and the director. Later however, the name was changed to Salaam Venky when the shooting commenced.[8]

The main parts of the film were shot from February–April 2022 in India, the remaining parts were shot later on in the year including Aamir Khan's cameo. Filming wrapped up on 3 October 2022.[9]

Soundtrack

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Salaam Venky
Soundtrack album by
Released7 December 2022
Recorded2021–22
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length29:22
LabelZee Music Company
Official audio
Salaam Venky - Full Album on YouTube
Singles from Salmaam Venky
  1. "Dhan Te Nan Zindagi"
    Released: 23 November 2022
  2. "Yu Tere Hue Hum"
    Released: 30 November 2022
  3. "Jo Tum Saath Ho"
    Released: 6 December 2022

The music of the film is composed by Mithoon. Lyrics are penned by Mithoon, Sandeep Shrivastava and Kausar Munir.

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Jo Tum Saath Ho"MithoonArijit Singh5:49
2."Dhan Te Nan Zindagi"MithoonMohit Chauhan, Mithoon4:18
3."Yu Tere Hue Hum"MithoonJubin Nautiyal, Palak Muchhal3:59
4."Anda Bata Paratha"Sandeep ShrivastavaBenny Dayal, Mithoon, Aditi Singh Sharma3:18
5."Jo Tum Saath Ho" (Duet)MithoonArijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal5:49
6."Badi Zindagi"Kausar MunirShaan3:13
7."Jo Tum Saath Ho" (Lullaby)MithoonShreya Ghoshal, Shambhavi Thakur, Sminit Mhatre1:56
Total length:29:22

Release

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Theatrical

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Salaam Venky was released on 9 December 2022 in cinemas.

Home media

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The digital and satellite rights are held by Zee5 and Zee Cinema, respectively.[10] The film was premiered on ZEE5 from February 10, 2023.[11]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 25% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10.[12]

Dhaval Roy of The Times of India rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "The heart-touching fare, replete with positivity as much as pain, is a must-watch".[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Kajol starts shooting for Revathy's film 'Salaam Venky". The Hindu. PTI. 11 February 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ^ Murthy, Shrikant (2005). The last hurrah (1st ed.). Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. ISBN 81-7276-366-2. OCLC 297508110.
  3. ^ "'Salaam Venky': Here's the true story behind the movie". The Week. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  4. ^ Service, Tribune News. "Kajol, Revathy team up for Salaam Venky". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Kajol starrer Salaam Venky gets a release date; To hit the cinemas on 9th December 2022". PINKVILLA. 3 October 2022. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  6. ^ Movies, Rediff. "Kajol Seeks Blessings From Lalbaugcha Raja". Rediff. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Women's Day 2022: Upcoming movies helmed by Mollywood female filmmakers". The Times of India. 8 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  8. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (7 October 2021). "Kajol and Revathy collaborate for a very special film titled The Last Hurrah : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Aamir Khan and Kajol to reunite after 16 years?". Mid-day. 22 June 2022. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Salaam Venky Digital Rights OTT Release Date Online Movie". Tollywood Online. 15 November 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  11. ^ "'Salaam Venky' starring Kajol gets OTT release date". The Economic Times. 15 November 2022. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Salaam Venky". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Salaam Venky Movie Review : A moving tale worthy of a salute". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
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