{{No plot|date=February 2025}} {{short description|2004 film}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox film | name = Swetha Naagu | image = | director = Sanjeevi | producer = CV Reddy | writer = | starring = Soundarya | music = Koti | cinematography = Diwakar | editing = Lanka Bhaskar | studio = CV Arts | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2004|02|18|df=yes|ref1=<ref name="Indiancine.ma">{{cite web |last1=Ashish |first1=Rajadhyaksha |title=Swetha Nagu (2004) |url=https://indiancine.ma/ATOB/info |website=Indiancine.ma |access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref>}} | runtime = 145 minutes <small>(Telugu) </small><br />123 minutes <small>(Kannada)</small> | country = India | language = Telugu<br />Kannada | budget = }} '''''Swetha Naagu''''' is a 2004 Indian devotional horror film directed by Sanjeevi starring Soundarya with Abbas and Sarath Babu playing supporting roles. The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Kannada with the latter version titled''''' Shwetha Naagara'''''. Both versions had a slightly different supporting cast. The Telugu version was partially reshot and dubbed in Tamil as ''Madhumathi''. It is the last film for Soundarya before her death on 17 April 2004.
== Cast == {| class="wikitable" |+ !Cast (Telugu) !Cast (Kannada) !Role (Telugu) !Role (Kannada) |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Soundarya || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Madhumathi |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Abbas || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Praveen |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Sarath Babu || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Shankar Reddy |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Jaya Prakash Reddy || style="text-align:center;"| Sarpararanya Dhora || style="text-align:center;"| Sarpa Kaadu Dhorey |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Abhinayashree || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Naagini |- | style="text-align:center;"| Dharmavarapu Subramanyam || style="text-align:center;"|Dwarakish || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Ashok Kumar |- | style="text-align:center;"| Mallikarjuna Rao || style="text-align:center;"|Kunigal Nagabhushan || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Madhumathi's guardian |- | style="text-align:center;"| Sangeeta || style="text-align:center;"|Sridevi || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Madhumathi's mother |- | style="text-align:center;"| Raghunatha Reddy || style="text-align:center;"|Bank Janardhan || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Praveen's father |- | style="text-align:center;"| Brahmanandam || style="text-align:center;"|Sanketh Kashi || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| chief guest |- | style="text-align:center;"| Karunas || style="text-align:center;"|Karibasavaiah || style="text-align:center;"| "Black" Baba || style="text-align:center;"| "Conductor" Kariyappa |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Babloo Prithviraj || colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|shapeshifting snake dancer (cameo) |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Anand || colspan=2 style="text-align:center;"| tribal man |- ! colspan="2" | Cast (Telugu) ! colspan="2" | Role (Telugu) |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Pattabhi Ram | colspan=2 rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| tribal man |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Kallu Chidambaram |- ! colspan="2" | Cast (Kannada) ! colspan="2" | Role (Kannada) |- | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Meena | colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Praveen's mother |}
== Production == The film was originally planned to be made simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil.<ref name="H">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/wonderful-white-snake/article28443382.ece|title=Wonderful white snake|date=22 July 2003|work=The Hindu|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230926141924/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/wonderful-white-snake/article28443382.ece|archive-date=26 September 2023}}</ref> Many resources state that this was Soundarya's 100th milestone film and also her last proper film while still alive; she died two months later during a helicopter crash. She had two posthumous releases in the later part of the year.<ref name="I">{{Cite web|url=http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-swethanaagu.html#:~:text=Telugu+cinema+Review+-+Swetha+Naagu,,+Abbas+-+Sanjeevi+-+CV+Reddy&text=Madhumati+(Soundarya)+is+a+research,is+a+study+on+snakes.&text=The+rest+of+the+film,Devata+(Goddess+of+Snakes)|title=Telugu cinema Review — Swetha Naagu — Soundarya, Abbas — Sanjeevi — CV Reddy|website=www.idlebrain.com}}</ref> A white snake from Meghalaya was used in the film.<ref name="H" /> Abbas who garnered acclaim with his debut in the Tamil film, ''Kadhal Desam'' was signed to play one of the leads in the film.<ref name="T">{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/hyderabad-times/Abbas-receives-mafia-threat/articleshow/58616.cms|title=Abbas receives mafia threat | undefined News — Times of India|website=The Times of India|date=4 July 2003 }}</ref> The film began production in mid-2003.<ref name="T" /> The film was shot in Bangalore, Savanadurga alongside Yaana and Sirsi in Uttara Karnataka.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/dec21/ent5.asp|title=Soundarya, Abbas star in Shwetha Naga|first=Srikanth|last=Srinivas|website=Deccan Herald|date=21 December 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040106214557/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/dec21/ent5.asp|archive-date=6 January 2004}}</ref>
== Reception == ''Idlebrain'' gave the film a rating of two-and-three-quarters out of five and wrote that "''Swetha Nagu'' is an average devotional film. And the USP (Unique Selling Point) is Soundarya".<ref name="I"/> A critic from ''Sify'' noted that "The first half of the film is interesting, but the film peters out in the second half. However the plus point of the film is Soundarya".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sify.com/movies/swetha-naagu-review-telugu-pclv06aahhafh.html|title=Review|website=Sify|first=|last=|access-date=|date=24 February 2004|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013041629/http://www.sify.com/movies/swetha-naagu-review-telugu-pclv06aahhafh.html|archive-date=13 October 2017}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb title|tt0940779}}
Category:2004 films Category:2004 Telugu-language films Category:2004 Kannada-language films Category:Indian multilingual films Category:Films about snakes Category:Indian films about revenge Category:Indian horror films Category:2004 horror films Category:2004 multilingual films