Sampathige Savaal

Sampathige Savaal (lit. A Challenge to Wealth) is a 1974 Indian Kannada drama film directed by A. V. Seshagiri Rao and produced by A. N. Murthy, based on a play of the same name written by B. P. Dhuttharagi. The film stars Rajkumar, Vajramuni and Manjula in lead roles. The screenplay, dialogues and lyrics for the soundtracks were written by Chi. Udaya Shankar.
The film was a musical blockbuster with all the tracks composed by G. K. Venkatesh considered evergreen hits. Rajkumar debuted as a playback singer with the track "Yaare Koogadali" from the film which became an instant hit among the audiences. He would then go on to sing regularly for his films. 
The film was remade in Telugu in 1975 as "Thota Ramudu" starring Chalam, in Tamil in 1975 as "Pudhu Vellam" starring Sivakumar and in Malayalam in 1976 as "Themmadi Velappan" starring Prem Nazir - thereby becoming the second Kannada movie to be remade in three other South Indian languages after "School Master".
Plot.
The film opens to a woodcutter chopping down a tree. He works for Siddappa (Vajramuni), a village landlord. The tree breaks at the stem and falls on him, killing him instantly. His wife Parvathamma (M. V. Rajamma) approaches Siddappa with her two children (Vishwa and Veerabhadra) and requests him to pay for the funeral expenses. Siddappa is however unconcerned and drives them away, which would go on to influence Veerabhadra ("Bhadra") hugely as he grows up. Both the children grow up into hardworking men; but, Vishwa works for Siddappa and stays in his good books while Bhadra grows into an easy going man with scant respect for Siddappa.
Vishwa requests Siddappa for financial help as the day of his wedding approaches. Siddappa lends him 1,000. The latter marries Mahalakshmi. Bhadra, on the other hand, angers Siddappa, his daughter Durga (Manjula) and his accountant Puttappa (Balakrishna) at every opportunity he gets. He humiliates Siddappa in front of the village gathering at a festival, which does not sit well with the latter. On another occasion, he cuts a few strands of Durga's hair using a sickle. Siddappa reports the matter to Bhadra's mother and brother stating that Bhadra had molested his daughter Durga. Enraged, Vishwa drives Bhadra out of their house. Bhadra enters Siddappa's house and threatens to really molest Durga in his presence. He however exits leaving her unharmed.
He stays at the village temple nearby. One day, his mother falls sick and expresses her desire to see him. Mahalakshmi proceeds to the temple to bring him home and takes a circuitous route through the forest. Siddappa, who is passing by, sees her and attempts to molest her. Her screams alert Bhadra who gets into a fist fight with Siddappa, ending in beating him black and blue. As a new marriage proposal to Durga comes, she confesses to her father of her romantic feelings toward Bhadra. An enraged Siddappa slaps her on the face following which she runs to Bhadra at the temple and confesses her feelings to him, who initially reluctant, accepts. Hearing the news, Siddappa sends Vishwa to threaten him with a revolver, claiming it to be unloaded, but unbeknownst to Vishwa, having loaded it beforehand with a single bullet. Mahalakshmi reaches the spot as an argument ensues between the two brothers. As she attempts to save Bhadra from the bullet fired by an unsuspecting Vishwa, she gets hit on her left shoulder. Enraged, Bhadra pursues Siddappa and gets into another fist fight with him. As he is about to strike him with an ax, the police arrive on the scene and arrest Siddappa for culpable homicide. Siddappa, before leaving, hands his daughter over to Bhadra.
Soundtrack.
The music was composed by G. K. Venkatesh with lyrics by Chi. Udaya Shankar and R. N. Jayagopal. All the songs composed for the film were received extremely well and considered as evergreen songs.