Telugu Cinema Prapamcham

Cast: KS Ramachandra Rao (Kuchela), Kalyanam Raghuramaiah (Srikrishna), Chebrol Saraswathi (Vamakshi), Rajarathnam (Rukmini), Samrajyam (Satyabhama), Pulipaka Venkatappayya (Narada), SV Raghava Swamy (Sisupala), DS Prakasha Rao ( Karataka Sastry), A. Srirama Murthy (Dharmaraju), Saraseeroham (Sarojini), Sundaram (Sarala), Master Malleswara Rao ( Raghava), Master Naga Raju (child Srikrishna) Story: K. Subrahmanyam Sastry Screenplay: DV Bhadram Music: Chary Cinematography: YB Washikar Editing: Bhola Settings (Art): Shankar Kashkar, Pavar Audiography: N Paul and Dr. Rakshith Directors: Kallakuri Sadasiva Rao and Tarith Basu Banner:  Radha Film Company (Calcutta) Trivia: Kalyanam Raghuramaiah was an actor as well as a singer in theatre. He debuted on stage at the age of 8 as Sri Rama in Bhakta Ramadasu . He acted in mythological, historical and social dramas and as mythological heroes in over 100 films. This great theatre personality created the role of Sri Krishna ...

Cast: Dasari Katiratnam (Sakkubai), Tungala Chalapathi Rao (Sri Krishna), Kumpatla Subba Rao, Suravarapu Venkateswarlu, Kapilavayi Ramanatha Shastry Dialogues: Chilakamarthi Lakshmi Narasimham Director: Charu Chandra Rai Banner: Bharatha Lakshmi Films Release Date: 21 May, 1935

Synopsis: Srirama after returning victorious from Lanka is crowned king of Ayodhya. Surpanakha and Karala, the only survivors of Ravana's family, come over to Ayodhya to wreak vengeance on Srirama. They hatch a plot according to which they take the forms of a washer man and his wife. Rama and Sita beguile their pensive hours viewing a series of paintings of the incidents of their past life. Sita, moved by wonderful reproduction of the peaceful atmosphere of the hermitages, requests Rama to let her visit the hermitages. Rama, though reluctant to send his pregnant wife to the forest, grants her wish. The disguised washer man and his wife put up a sham quarrel and speak very lightly of Sita's character. A spy of Rama listens to the gossip and reports to Rama the scandalous talk though reluctantly.  Rama sacrifices his happiness as well as Sita's for the sake of popular opinion and determines to send Sita into exile. He calls in all his brothers and asks the...

Director: K. Ranga Rao

Cast:  Arani Satyanarayana (Ramadasu), Ghantasala Radhakrishnayya (Kabir Das), Nellore Naga Raja Rao (Tanisha), K. Srinivasa Chary (Dharmakartha), Venkata Subbayya (Ahamak), Ghantasala Seshayya (Srirama), MS Ranga Rao (Lakshmana), Saraswathi (Kamalamba), Rampapa (Sitara Begam) Cinematography: Krishna Gopal Audiography: RC Wilman, CN Nigam Director:  Akhtar Nawaz Banner: East India Film Company (Culcutta) Trivia: This was based on Dharmavaram Gopalacharya's stage play 'Ramadasu'.

Cast: Kalyanam Raghu Ramaiah, Parupalli Satyanarayana, Surabhi Kamalabai Director: Pothina Srinivasa Rao Banner: Saraswati Movietone Notes: The first cinema hall in Andhra Pradesh was Maruthi Talkies in Bezawada constructed by Pothina Srinivasa Rao in 1921. This theatre was inaugurated on October 23 that year. The theatre still exists. It was the beginning of the birth of cinema theatres. The first talkie ever made in India, Alam Ara , was first released in this theatre. It enjoyed such a pride of place that all the films made at Bombay and at other production centers were first released in Maruthi Talkies, along with their release in Bombay. Srinivasa Rao also turned producer-director with his film titled Prithvi Putra in 1933, under his own banner Saraswathi Movietone. He was also the film's script writer.

Synopsis:  Chintamani was based on the legendary story of a Sanskrit poet and devotee of Lord Krishna named Bilwamangal. Bilwamangal (Pulipati), a resident of Varanasi, was a Sanskrit scholar, who gets infatuated towards a courtesan called Chintamani (Ramatilakam), a woman of ill-fame. As a result he deserts his wife. However, Chintamani is an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and spends most of her time singing bhajans in praise of Lord Krishna. His attraction towards Chintamani eventually draws Bilwamangal closer towards Lord Krishna and transforms his life forever. Bilwangal, himself, becomes a devotee of Lord Krishna and pens a monumental Sanskrit work Sri Krishna Karnamritam . Cast: Pulipati Venkateswarlu, Ramatilakam Director: Kallakoori Sadasiva Rao Banner: Madan Studios

Cast: Yadavalli Suryanarayana (Dushyanth), Surabhi Kamalabai (Shakuntala), Bakurupanda Venkata Rao, Nellore Naga Raja Rao Director: Sarvottam Badami Banner: Select Pictures Circuit (Bangalore) Notes: Surabhi Kamala Bai played the protagonist's role in Bhakta Prahlada - the first Telugu talkie. But how many of us know she was born on stage while her mother Leelavati, a veteran theatre artiste, was giving a performance. Leelavati was playing the character of a pregnant woman, and the crowd for a moment thought Kamala's birth was part of the play. Elated as they were, they threw coins while the pregnant mother actually wreathed in pain.

Cast: Yadavalli Suryanarayana(Rama), Surabhi Kamalabai (Sita), Bakurapanda Venkata Rao (Bharata), P. Ramatilakam, Nellore Nagaraja Rao Producer: Chunnibhai Desai Director: Sarvottam Badami Banner: Select Pictures Circuit Release Date: 24 November

Bhakta Prahlada is the first Telugu talkie movie made in 1931 by H.M. Reddy, a pioneer in Indian film industry. It is a classic mythological drawn from the Vishnu Purana. Prahlada, the son of the demon Hiranya Kasipa (Subbaiah), defies his father and worships Vishnu. He is imprisoned but Vishnu protects him. Cast: Munipalle Venkata Subbaiah or V.V. Subba Rao (Hiranya Kasipa), Krishna Rao (Prahlada), Surabhi Kamalabai (Leelavathi), L.V. Prasad (friend of Prahlada), Doraswami Naidu (Indra), Chitrapu Narasimha Rao (Brahma and Chandamarka), BV Subba Rao Story: Dharmavaram Krishnamacharyulu Music: H.R. Padmanabha Sastri Lyrics: Chandala Kesavadasu Cinematography: Govardhanbhai Patel Producer: Manikyalal Seth Director: H.M. Reddy Banner: Bharat Movietone (Sri Krishna Film Company) Budget: Rs. 20,000 Duration: 108 mts. Release Date: 15 September 1931 Trivia:  Valluru Venkata Subba Rao (V.V. Subba Rao) was born in Munipalle near Ponnur. So, later he called as Munipal...

Cast: Parepalli Subba Rao (Bhojudu), Addanki Srirama Murthy (Kalidasu), Kannamba Director: Hanumappa Viswantha Babu

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 marri...

Cast: Bellari Raghava, Kannamba, Peddapuram Raju, Puvvula Ratnamala, Vemuri Gaggaiah, Arani Satyanarayana, Lalita Devi Writer: Muttaneni Venkata Chenna Kesavulu Music: Kopparapu Subba Rao Cinematographer: Kamal Ghosh Producer: Mirjapuram Raja Director: R.S. Prakash Banner: Bhavani Pictures

Cast: Addanki Srirama Murthy, C. Krishnaveni, Kannamba, Parupalli Subba Rao Director: Dronamraju China Kameswara Rao Producer: Mirjapuram Raja Banner: Jaya Films

Synopsis: The film tells of the decadent dancer, Madhuri (Kanchanmala), who seduces the upright Dr. Krishna Rao (Ramanujachari) into leaving his good wife Radha (Kannamba). The doctor becomes an alcoholic and is framed for the murder of Vishwasa Rao, the trustee of his father's estate. Krishna Rao's brother-in-law Gopinath (Nagaiah) helps the hero and later offers shelter to a destitute Radha. Radha has a scuffle with Madhuri, falls down the stairs and becomes mentally unbalanced, ending up waling the streets of Madras denouncing god, truth and justice. Cast: Chittooru V. Nagaiah (Gopinath), Kannamba (Radha), Kanchanamala (Madhuri), Gauripathy Sastry (Prachanda Sastry), Ramanujachari (Dr. Krishna), Govindarajula Subbarao (Ramlal Seth), Sarala (Santhi), Rohini (Rohini), MC Raghavan (Viswasa Rao), Koteswara Rao (Rama Rao), Kanthamma (Manikyam), Anjanibai (Ganga), Doraswamy (Prosecutor), Hanumantha Rao (Advocate), Nagabhushanam (Judge), Appalaswamy, Jagadeesan Story and Lyric...

Cast: Dommeti Suryanarayana (Kroorasena), Kannamba (Kamala), Kamala Kumari (Tara), Arani Satyanarayana (Pratap), P. Suribabu (Sadhu), Manjari (Manjari), Sivalenka Basavayya Sastry (Udayasena), M. Durga Prasad (Kanakasena), Veerraju (Vimala), Hemalatha (Radhabai), Chitra (Ratnabai), Gangarathnam (Elli), Anjanibai (Pushpa), Subbulu (Champa), Elisetty Satyanarayana (Dheemantha), K. Hemambara Das (Ramjetti), MC Raghavan (Durjaya), Kumpatla Subba Rao (Malligadu), K. Narasimha Murthy (Veerapala), KV Krishnayya Chowdary (Soorapala), Bhanu Prasad Singh (Bhilla), K. Nagabhushanam (Matimantha) Story: Chandala Kevasa Das Dialogues and Lyrics: Samudrala Raghavacharya Music: Bhimavarapu Narasimha Rao Cinematography: DB Chawan Editing: BR Barodkar Art: OR Embaraiah Director: Hanumappa Vishwanatha Babu Banner: Saraswathi Talkies Ltd. Trivia:  This is the first folklore movie in Telugu. This was based on Chandala Kesava Das's stage play 'Kanaka Tara'. This was debut movie...

Cast: Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao (Sarangadhara), P. Santha Kumari (Chitrangi), Sr. Sriranjani (Rathnangi), Addanki Sri Ramamurthy (Raja Raja Narendra), Pulipati Venkateswarlu (Subuddhi), Kochcharlakota (Matimantha), Balamani (Chandrasena), Ramudu (Hema) Dialogues: Tapi Dharma Rao Lyrics and Verses: Vemuri Sundara Ramaiah Sharma Music:  Maruthi Seetharamaiah and Akula Narasimha Rao Cinematography: RA Kambale Art: TVS Sharma Producer: Ramaiah Director: P. Pullaiah Banner: Star Combines Trivia:  Not just in the stage play, Santha Kumari acted in the movie Sarangadhara (1937), during which time the director of the movie P. Pullaiah fell in love with her. They eventually married the same year. Santha Kumari played a negative role of Chitrangi with equal élan. This was the debut film for Pullaiah as a director.

Synopsis: Arjuna arrives at Dwaraka and invites Sri Krishna fro Dharmaraja's Rajasuya Yagna. Nakula goes to Hastinapura and invites Kauravas for the Yagna. All the kings of Bharata varsha arrived at Indraprastha for the Yagna. After performing Yagna, Dharmaraja is accordance with advises of Bheeshma and Narada, goes to offer Agra Pooja to Lord Sri Krishna. Sushupala contradicting the superiority of Krishna deliberately accuses him before the assembly of Kshatriya Princes. Krishna, conscious of the lapse of time for pardoning Sushupala's hundred faults, severs his head with Sudarsana Chakra. Duryodhana is very much prejudiced at the inestimable reputation achieved by Pandavas. His malice is enhanced when he enters the mysterious Maya Sabha and by accident strikes his head against the wall and again when he falls into the water which appears to him as floor. Bheema's mockery together with Draupadi's laughter fanned the infuriating fire of Duryodhan's averi...

Cast: Addanki Srirama Murthy (Harischandra), Kannamba (Chandramati), Bheema Rao (Lohitasya), Pulipati Venkateswarlu (Nakshatrakudu), Bandaru Naidu, Akula Narasimha Rao Story, Dialogues and Lyrics: Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi Music: BG Temble, Kha Sahib Burjikhaw Director: T.A. Raman Banner: Star Combines Ltd. Trivia: It was made with a budget of Rs. 1 lakh and take six months to make. Noted director P. Pullaiah worked for this film as assistant director.

Synopsis: Viswamitra is preparing for the performance of a great Yaga for the peace and prosperity of mankind. While he sits meditating, to carry it through successfully, as any such attempts were spoiled by Rakshasas who completely invest the neighbouring forests and wreck all such attempts, he finds great many Rishis horely-harassed by the evil deeds of Ravana and his minions are praying to the Lord Vishnu to free from their troubles. Vishnu appears before them and comforts them that he has already incarnated himself as the son of Dasaratha and he would surely end their troubles. Viswamitra has seen his own vision and starts to Ayodhya seeking the aid of Rama. Dasaratha is in his durbar when Viswamitra enters and asks the support of Rama for defending his Yaga against the Rakshas. Dasaratha at first unwilling to send his son but on the advice of Vasishta he allows Viswamitra to take Rama and with him Lakshmana also. In their journey to Yagasala they meet the she-demon Thataki and R...