Vara Vikrayam (1939)

Synopsis: The story was about a middle class revenue inspector, a Gandhian Punyamurthula Purushothama Rao (Daita Gopalam), his wife Bhramaramba (Sr. Sriranjani) and their two daughters - Kalindi (Bhanumathi) and Kamala (Pushpavalli). Rao was against giving dowry. But he was forced to sell his ten acre rice field to pay dowry to marry off his elder daughter Kalindi to Basavaraju (Kocharlakota Satyanarayana) adopted son of Singaraju Lingaraju (Balijepalli Lakshmikantha Kavi). Marriage brokers Pellilla Perayya (Peri Ramachandra Murthy) and Vivahala Veerayya (J. Satyanarayana) con with Lingaraju to make Rao agree to pay the dowry. Upset that her marriage would leave her parents penniless, the sensitive Kalindi commits suicide by jumping into the well.
Lingaraju refuses to return the dowry money even though the marriage was not performed. Kamala who is more assertive decides to teach a lesson to Lingaraju. She agrees to marry his son much against the wish of her father. After the marriage, Kamala refuses to go to her in-laws house claiming that since she bought Basavaraju by paying dowry he should come and stay with her at her parents' house. Lingaraju drags her to court by filing a complaint in the name of his son. 
The judge gives a verdict in favour of Kamala, when Basavaraju fed up with his foster father's cunningness, agrees to live with her. Lingaraju realizes his folly and seeks pardon from Purushothama Rao.
Cast: Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi, Daita Gopalam, Sr. Sriranjani, Bhanumathi, Pushpavalli, Kocharlakota Satyanarayana, Tungala Chalapati Rao, Peri Ramachandra Murthy, J. Satyanarayana, Addala Narayana Rao, A.V. Subba Rao, L. Satyanarayana, Relangi Venkatramaiah, Koti Ratnam, Subhadra
Story: Kallakuri Narayana Rao
Dialogues: Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi
Music: Prabhala Satyanarayana
Background score: Durgasen
Cinematography: Biren Day
Sound: C.S. Nigam
Editing: Dharam Veer
Art: Batoo Sen
Makeup: Eedhu
Director: C. Pullaiah
Banner: East India Film Company

Trivia: Vara Vikrayam was the second movie, which based on a social stage play in Telugu. This was the debut film for Bhanumathi as an actress, and also first film for Kavitha Kalanidhi Balijepalli Lakhsmikanta Kavi as an actor.

In 1930s, Kallakuri Narayana Rao have written some great plays like Chintamani, Madhuseva, Vara Vikrayam based on social issues. Vara Vikrayam reknowned as reformist anti-dowry Telugu movie.
The unit faced some difficulties by storm in initial stages of production. Roof of the studio, where the shooting was going on, completely drifted by that storm. So that the shooting stopped for sometime. When the East India Film Company entered and taken over the production, then the shooting restarted. Thats why some north Indian technecians worked for this project.
This was also first film for Kasturi Siva Rao, who done a small role.
While Prabhala Satyanarayana given the music for songs, Durgasen, a bengali, given the background score.

Interestingly, Bommaraju Bhanumathi was a reluctant entrant to acting. She was more interested in fulfilling her father Bommaraju Venkata Seshaiah's wish to sing for gramophone records. But Govindarajula Subba Rao, a close friend of Seshaiah thought otherwise. He first took her to Gudavalli Ramabrahmam while he was scouting for child actors for 'Malapilla'. But Gudavalli found she was too naive and the role went to Sundaramma, equally talented bud sadly forgotten today. When C. Pullaiah was looking for a girl who can sing well, to play the role of Kalindi, Govindarajula told him about Bhanumathi. In the screen test, Bhanumathi tried that ploy one more time. But to her dismay, Pullaiah said that he found his Kalindi! Her father was happy that there were a few songs for her to sing, however he put a condition that no male actor should touch her. Pullaiah told him not worry as there is no hero for her in the movie. 

'Varavikrayam' was remembered as the first film in Telugu on dowry and was a huge box office success.