OmerRobson4867 at 02:42, 5 March 2026

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{{short description|Indian film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Hats Off India
| image = Hats Off India.jpg
| alt =
| caption = VCD cover
| native_name = 
| director = R Raghunath
| writer = R Raghunath
| screenplay =
| story =
| based_on = 
| producer = G. Nandakumar
| starring = Ganesh <br />Ashitha
| narrator =
| cinematography = [[Sundarnath Suvarna]]
| editing = T Shashikumar
| music = [[Hamsalekha]]
| studio = Vishwapriya Films
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2000|1|29}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Kannada
| budget =
| gross =
}}''''' Hats Off India''''' is a 2000 Indian [[Kannada]]-language film directed by R Raghunath and starring Ganesh and Ashitha with [[B. C. Patil]] and Sadhu Shetty in supporting roles. This was the last film of legendary actress [[Pandari Bai]].

==Plot==
As [[Bharathanatyam]] dancers, Ravi and Jyothi go to America to spread Indian culture. Upon returning from a performance, Ravi and Jyothi are dragged on the roads in an Indian locality and an American senator's son tries to rape Jyothi in pitch darkness. An angered Ravi uses the senator's son's pistol and shoots him. He runs away with Jyothi to India.

Unfazed by their escape, the senator contacts the dons Sadhu Shetty and Dawood in India to get Ravi dead or alive. Sadhu Shetty succeeds in his effort but Ravi and Jyothi change his mind and he lets them go. Taking advantage of this Dawood follows the pair but he gets killed at a port, and Jyothi loses her two legs in the encounter. B. C. Patil, a cop, tries to save Ravi and Jyothi. On the advice of US court he takes Ravi to US. From a clue the judge knows about the real happenings that lead to senator's son's murder. B. C. Patil changes the Indian mentality to help out Ravi, who is an alleged criminal. The unity among the Indians causes the judge to pass a judgement in favour of Ravi. In the court battle the judge, the senator and other US citizens salute by saying Hats off India.<ref name="I"/>

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
*[[B. C. Patil]]
*Sadhu Shetty as himself
*Ganesh as Ravi
*Ashitha as Jyothi
*[[Janagaraj]]
*[[Shivaram]]
*[[Bank Janardhan]] as Raghavendra Tea Stall owner
*[[Pandari Bai]] as Smt. Pandaribai, organizer
*[[Kishori Ballal]]
}}

== Production ==
Ramnath, who worked as an assistant director to [[Upendra (actor)|Upendra]] in ''[[A (1998 Kannada film)|A]]'' (1998), makes his directorial debut through film.<ref name="S"/> The film is jointly produced by G. Nandakumar, the producer of ''[[America! America!!]]'' (1997) who won the [[Rajyotsava Prashasti |Kannada Rajyotsava Award]] in 1998, with B Jagannath under the banner of Vishwapriya Films.<ref name="I"/><ref name="S"/> The film got embroiled in controversy due to having an English title. Part of the film was shot in Mangalore in December 1998.<ref name="S">{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenindia.com/dec25/south.htm|title=Hats Off India: Coming up: a feel-good movie!|work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209121454/http://www.screenindia.com/dec25/south.htm|archive-date=9 December 2007}}</ref> G. Nandakumar reused some shots from ''America! America!!'' (1997), much to the dissent of [[Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar]].<ref name="I"/> The court scenes were shot at Nandakumar's home which was converted into an American courtroom.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.expressindia.com/screen/feb19/south.htm|website=Screen|access-date=14 February 2025|title=Hats off India: Hat's off, indeed!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000301142626/http://www.expressindia.com/screen/feb19/south.htm|archive-date=1 March 2000}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
{{Infobox album
| name = Hats Off India
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = [[Hamsalekha]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 2000
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = 25:58
| language = Kannada
| label = Akash Audio
| producer =
| chronology = [[Hamsalekha]]
| prev_title = [[Preethse]]
| prev_year = 2000
| next_title = [[Shabdavedhi]]
| next_year = 2000
| misc = {{external media
| audio1 = {{YouTube|Vt4conaQrZE|Hats Off India – Jukebox}}}}
}}
The music is composed by [[Hamsalekha]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hats off India (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |url=https://gaana.com/album/hats-off-india-original-motion-picture-soundtrack |website=[[Gaana (music streaming service)|Gaana]] |access-date=25 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The titular song was originally 12 minutes long.<ref name ="S"/>
{{track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Hats Off India
| all_lyrics = Hamsalekha
| length1 = 5:25
| extra1 = [[Ramesh Chandra (singer)|Ramesh Chandra]]
| title2 = Kannada Chithrava Nodranna
| length2 = 5:05
| extra2 = [[Rajesh Krishnan]]
| title3 = Naadir Dinna
| length3 = 5:19
| extra3 = Rajesh Krishnan, [[Latha Hamsalekha]]
| title4 = Odu Odu Odu
| length4 = 5:04
| extra4 = [[G. V. Atri]]
| title5 = You Read Love
| length5 = 5:05
| extra5 = Rajesh Krishnan
| total_length = 25:58
}}

== Reception ==
A critic from ''indiainfo.com'' wrote that "On the whole Hats off to late director Raghunath for his dexterity and producer Nandakumar for his taste and Dil ({{Translation|guts}}) to make bold films".<ref name="I">{{Cite web|url=http://movies.indiainfo.com/kannada/reviews/hatsofindia.html|title=Hats off India - Hats off to director|work=indiainfo.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020208032611/http://movies.indiainfo.com/kannada/reviews/hatsofindia.html|archive-date=8 February 2002}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|14741898}}

[[Category:Films scored by Hamsalekha]]
[[Category:2000 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2000 Kannada-language films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mangalore]]
[[Category:Films set in the United States]]
[[Category:Films set in India]]

Hats Off India - Revision history

OmerRobson4867 at 02:42, 5 March 2026