MISSAMMA 1955

Direction: LV Prasad.
Producers: BN Reddi & Chakrapani.
Banner: Vijaya Productions Limited.
Art: Gokhale & Kaladhar.
Audiography: A Krishnan.
Choreography: P Krishna Murthy.
Cinematography: Marcus Bartley.
Editing: CP Jambulingam & Kalyanam.
Lyrics: Pingali Nagendra Rao.
Make-up: Peetambaram & Bhaktavatsalam.
Music: S Rajeswara Rao.
Script & Screenplay: Chakrapani.
Singers: Leela, Raja & Suseela.

Cast:
NTR,
ANR,
SV Rangarao,
Relangi,
Ramana Reddy,
Balakrishna,
Doraswamy,
Ramalingaiah,
Gummadi,
Savitri,
Jamuna,
Rshyendramani,
Meenakshi and Others.

Story:
A few months ago we celebrated the Golden Jubilee of 'Devadas', a remarkable film of the golden era of Telugu cinema. Now it is the turn of 'Missamma' to do so. The film continues to enjoy supreme position even among films considered best during this 'golden era', for the very reason that 'Missamma' is a fine mix of family drama with fantastic humor. Nowhere you find any exaggeration or cheapness that generally mark some of the comedies. And the characterization is supreme and the characters' nature is maintained till the end. It comes into the bracket of 'healthy comedy'. We are sure that some functions to celebrate the film's Golden Jubilee will be held, all over the state. It will reappear on the theatre screens or on small screen. The stalwart actors and actresses of golden era are in the cast. ANR, NTR, SV Ranga Rao, Savitri, Jamuna and Relangi are put in apt roles. Chakrapani the architect of this humor drama was at his best in dialogue writing and made it in Telugu and Tamil simultaneously. In Tamil it is titled as 'Missiamma'

Later it was produced in Hindi too. There was a big search for a person to play the role of a 'detective', drawn on humor lines. Akkineni by then was enjoying supreme position. There was need for a balancing act to keep the sentiment and humor levels going well. Finally they thought that Akkineni would do a better job. In Tamil comedian Tangavelu was their choice. Thus you can understand the artistic spirit of ANR in accepting a role of a comedian, while his contemporary and junior in profession, NTR playing the lead. ANR used to say later it was a challenging role for him and he proved he was good even at that. There followed a few more full-length comedies featuring ANR. And Savitri was first chosen to play the role that Jamuna played in this film. The choice to play opposite NTR was Bhanumathi. SV Ranga Rao was common in both the languages – Telugu and Tamil. It so happened that there was a minor dispute between Bhanumathi and Chakrapani, the right-hand man, friend and philosopher of B Nagi Reddi, on some issue. Bhanumathi opted to stay away from the film. Therefore Savitri was promoted to play the title role - Missamma. Then Jamuna was chosen to play the second lead. Balakrishna plays assistant to the detective, which role was played by Karunanidhi in Tamil.


The undercurrent of the theme was attacking unemployment. NTR played an educated unemployed youth. The single line theme is of a graduate Rao (NTR) scanning newspaper pages for employment opportunities. He finds one. The advertisement requires a graduate couple to serve the school in the Zamindari of Ranga Rao. Missamma is in the same situation as Rao. They agree to pretend man and wife to fulfil the condition mentioned in the advertisement. They start serving the school well. And Relangi plays their cook. The highlight is proving Missamma is none other than the lost and found eldest daughter of the Zamindar, who missed on a pushkara day when she was a child. The identification sequences that contribute to the detection that she is Zamindar's daughter has this sequence of finding a patch like mole on one of her feet. Her reunion with her parents and sister was the climactic sequence.

LV Prasad directed the film dexterously. In Hindi, Kishore Kumar played the role that ANR played in Telugu. NTR, Savitri, Jamuna, besides Ranga Rao also figured in the Tamil 'Missiamma'. Even the costumes are same for these main artistes except that of Ranga Rao, who is given 'Adda Kattu' style in Tamil cinema, following the Tamil tradition. Both the films were made in parallel taking shot for shot in Telugu and Tamil. Those immortal songs – 'Ravoyi Chandamama', 'Brindamanamadi Andaridi', 'Telusukonave Talli' and 'Karuninchu Meri Mata', marked S Rajeswara Rao's music score. The last song mentioned continues to be heard on all Christian festivals. Pingali Nagendra Rao penned lyrics and AM Raja shot to fame with this film. This is one of the very few films that Raja dared to give his voice to NTR, for a different reason. P Suseela rendered the song 'Brindavanamadi Andaridi'. It is well known that Suseela was introduced in 'Donga Ramudu' and Chakrapani happened to listen to that song. He booked her to render this song in this film, for Jamuna's role. That opened the doors of Vijaya Productions, for Suseela.