The first Kannada talkie film was Bhakta Dhruva (1934). The film Bedara Kannappa (1954) brought the Kannada cinema into national reckoning. In 1960, Ranadheera Kanteerava became the first big Kannada hit and established its star Rajkumar. Nandi (1964) became the first Kannada film to be shown abroad. Pattabhirama Reddy's Samskara (1970), in which Girish Karnad played the lead role, was the first Kannada film to make an impact on the national level. Karanth's Chomana Dudi won the President's Gold Medal in 1975. The other notable Kannada films of the period include Nagabharana's Grahana; Lankesh's Pallavi; Girish Karnad's Kaadu and Prahlad's Rishyashrunga. Sathyu's Bara (1981) brought great accolades for its leading actor Anant Nag. Prema Karanth's Phaniyamma (1982) won several awards at the Mannheim Film Festival.   

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