The film stars Vishuvardhan as Dr. Harish and Suhasini as his protégé Nandini, along with Jai Jagadish, Roopadevi and G. K. Govinda Rao in supporting roles.

In addition to this, the film also won two Filmfare Awards South: Best Actor for Vishnuvardhan and Best Actress for Suhasini.

[7] Harish is a doctor who falls in love with his student, Nandini, but is too shy to express his feelings for her.

Harish withdraws into a shell and develops a heart enlargement condition, drawing Nandini closer to him.

Popular pair Anant Nag and Lakshmi were initially considered for the lead roles.

Rajendra Singh Babu decided to cast Vishnuvardhan in the Devdas-like role which had never been done in Kannada films before.

[8] At first the film industry was skeptical that Vishnuvardhan who was known for action roles was cast for a love story like Bandhana.

The director's faith and the way Vishnuvardhan carried the role of Dr. Harish transformed his image and established him as a superstar.

[12] The film was certified with a U certificate on 26 July 1984 without any cuts and was released in theatres on 24 August the same year.

A film critic from Screen writes: "Babu with his strong command of film-making techniques, effectively adapted the novel into a screenplay rich in visuals and external drama that are required for the medium of cinema.

The National Film Archive of India writes in a tweet: "Recognized as among the path-breaking performances of Vishnuvardhan, he mesmerized the audiences with his portrayal of a sacrificial lover.

Following the immense success of Bandhana they acted together in several films like Suprabhatha, Muthina Haara and Himapaata.