SANKRANTI(1952)

P.SANTHA KUMARI

Banner: East India Film
Director: C. Pullaiah
Music: Ashwathama
Lyrics: Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi
Cinematography: N.C. Balakrishnan, Prabhakar, G. Chandran

Cast:
Shantakumari,
Sriranjani Jr.
Savitri,
K. Siva Rao,
Ashalata,
Vishwam,
Ramana Rao,
Chandrasekhar,
Rajanala Nageswara Rao

KOMMAREDDY SAVITHRI

Story: Uncharacterstic middle- class melodrama by mythological director Pullaiah, showing the ascendancy of melodrama in 50s Telugu cinema. Matriarch Annapurnamma’s (Shantakumari) joint family crumbles when her two sons do not stop their respective wives from quarrelling; one son is henpecked, the other ‘ too busy; to bother with matters domestic. The preachy film bemoans the loss of ‘ traditional’ made authority required to control women in the family.

Bhagya Lakshmi(1943)

P.PULLAIAH

Banner:Renuka Films
Director:P. Pullaiah
Music:B. Narasimha Rao
Dialogues:Samudrala Raghavacharya
Lyrics:Samudrala Raghavacharya
Cinematography:M.A. Rehman
Producer:Chittor V. Nagaiah

CHITTURU V NAGAIAH

Cast:
Chittor V. Nagaiah,
Doraiswamy,
Umamaheshwara Rao,
Giri,
Raghavan,
Gauripathy Sastry,
N.S. Krishnan,
T.A. Mathuram,
Malathi,
T. Suryakumari,
Kamala Kotnis

TANGUTURI SURYA KUMARI

Story:Melodrama about unrequited love. The music teacher Srinivasa Rao (Nagaiah) loves Bhagya Lakshmi (Malati) but her parents arrange for her to marry another man, Vishwanatha Rao (Giri). When the lovesick hero spurns the vamp Kamakshi, she starts a rumour suggesting Srinivasa Rao is having a sexual affair with Bhagya Lakshmi, causing the heroine to be thrown out of her home. Eventually the hero patches up the marriage between Bhagya Lakshmi and Vishwanatha Rao. Nagaiah hired Pullaiah to direct his first independent production designed to refurbish the star's heroic screen image after playing second leads and Saint films at Vauhini. The film had one classic Nagaiah song hit, Asha nirasha. According to V.A.K. Ranga Rao, this was the first time in Telugu cinema that a playback singer, R. Balasaraswathi, received an explicit credit for her Kamala Kotnis songs, acknowledging that actors did not always sing their songs.

Prithvi Putra (1933)

SURABHI KAMALA BAI

Banner:Saraswati Cinetone
Director:Potina Srinivasa Rao

Cast:
K. Raghuramaiah,
Parepalli Satyanarayana,
Surabhi Kamalabai

KALYANAM RAGHURAMAIAH

Story:The Pauranic story of Narakasura, the demon who, when slayed by Krishna, asks that the day of his death be celebrated by mankind and that he be allowed to descend to earth every year to witness the festivity. Financed by an AP exhibitor, the film, made at the Saraswati Cinetone, was probably the first locally financed Telugu film.

Sri Krishna Leelalu(1935)

VEMURI GAGGAIAH

Banner:Vel Pics
Director:Ch. Narasimha Rao
Music: Galipenchala Narasimha Rao
Story:A.T. Raghavachari

Cast:
Vemuri Gaggaiah,
Sriranjani Sr.,
Ramatilakam,
Saluri Rajeshwara Rao,
Parepalli Satyanarayana,
Parepalli Subba Rao,
Master Avadhani,
Lakshmirajyam

SALURI RAJESWARA RAO

Story:Playful mythological featuring the antics of the child Krishna (Rajeshwara Rao) from his birth to his victory over the evil Kamsa (Gaggaiah). It is the film debut of future composer Rajeshwara Rao and one of Gaggaiah's best-known films.

BhaktaJayadeva (1938)

P.SANTHA KUMARI

Banner:Andhra Cinetone
Director:Hiren Bose

Cast:
Rentachintala Satyanarayana,
Surabhi Kamalabai,
Shantakumari,
V. Venkateshwarulu

SURABHI KAMALA BAI

Story: Big-budget but unsuccessful saint film about Jayadeva (12th C.), the author of the Geet Govind. The story shows the enmity between Jayadeva and Taranatha, who first burns down Jayadeva's house and then imprisons his wife. Help comes in the form of bandits who rob the villain's house and blind him.

Mohini Bhasmasura (1938)

CHITTAJALLU PULLAIAH

Banner:Andhra Talkies
Director:C. Pullaiah
Lyrics:D. Venkatavadham
Cinematography:G.V. Bhadsavale

Cast:
Pushpavalli,
Dasari Kotiratnam,
A.V. Subba Rao,
Nagarajakumari,
Tungaia Chalapathi Rao

PUSHPAVALLI

Story: Pullaiah’s widely advertised mythological about the demon Bhasmasura who comes to earth armed with a boon from Shiva and causes mayhem until Vishnu, in the guise of Mohini (Pushpavalli), bring-s about the demon's self-destruction. The film's main attraction was the star Pushpavalli, promoted as a divine beauty come down to earth. The advertising, by the London Film Exchange (which controlled distribution rights), also .stressed the location scenes and their 'natural scenic beauty

Mohini Rugmangada (1937)

C.KRISHNAVENI

Banner: National Movietone
Director:Ch. Narasimha Rao
Music:B. Narasimha Rao
Story:Tapi Dharma Rao
Lyrics:Tapi Dharma Rao
Cinematography:Boman D. Irani

VEMURI GAGGAIAH

Cast:
Vemuri Gaggaiah.
T, Suryanarayana,
Ramai.ilakam,
Pulipati Venkateswarlu
Vemuri Parabmhma Sastry,
Saraswathi,
Pushpa,
Hemavathi,
Kumpatia Subba Rao,
Knthiventi Subba Rao,
T. Ramakrishna Sastry,
Susaria Ramchandra Rao,
C. Krishnaveni

PULIPATI VENKATESWARLU

Story:Proselytising mythological advocating the ekadashi 'vrat' (a ritual fast on the llth day of the lunar month). Strongly promoted, it claimed to bring a new variety to Telugu cinema, featuring scenes from heaven (Brahmalok) and hell (Yamalok), 'moulded strictly according to ancient traditions (ad in the Andhra Patrika). T. Ramakrishna Sastry, playing Narada, sings his musical forte, Tarangini, with the numbers Ehi mudam dehi and Veekshe kada devadevam in the traditional style.

DHRUVA-Anasuya (1936)

C.KRISHNAVENI

Banner:East India Film
Director:C Pullaiah
Music: Prabhala Satyanarayana
Story:Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi

CH.NARAYANA RAO

Cast:
C. Krishnaveni,
K S Prakash Rao,
Suryanarayana,
CH Narayanarao,
P. Sundaramma,
R. Balasaraswathi

BALIJEPALLI LAKSHIKANTHA KAVI

Story:Anasuya was made and released by Pullaiah as a double bill with Dhruva (1936(65), two mythologicals made exclusively with children and telling the stories of Sati Ansuya and Bhakta Dhruva. RAVU BALASARASWATHI

The films were commended by reviews for their realism in script and casting.

AGNIPAREEKSHA(1951)

C S R ANANEYULU

Banner:Sarathi Films
Director:P. Manikyam
Music:Galipenchala Narasimha Rao
Story: Tapi Dharma Rao
Lyrics:K.G. Sharma
Cinematography:B. Subba Rao

RELANGI VENKATRAMAIAH

Cast:
Kalyanam Raghuramaiah,
C.S.R. Anjaneyulu,
K. Siva Rao

KALYANAM RAGHURAMAIAH

Malathi,
Lakshmikantam,
Relangi Venkatramaiah,
Kanakam,
Gangarathnam,
Suryakantam

KANAKAM

Story:Melodrama suggesting a slight modernisation of the devoced wife stereotype in order to refurbish feudal patriarchal values. Heroine Sushila (Lakshmirajyam) loses her husband Kumaravarma (Anjaneyulu) to the charms of the prostitute Kalavati (Lakshmikantam) and fails in her attempt to commit suicide. SURYAKANTHAM

Sushila then sets out to seduce her husband back. In doing so, it is she rather than he who faces accusations of sexual infidelity and has to undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity. Agradoot made a version of the story in 1954.

Tenali Ramakrishna (1956)

Banner: Vikram Prod.
Director: B.S. Ranga
Music: Vishwanathan-Ramamurthy
Story: Based on C.K. Venkararamaiah's play
Screenplay: Samudrala Raghavacharya
Dialogues: Samudrala Raghavacharya
Lyrics: Samudrala Raghavacharya
Cinematography: B.S. Ranga
Producer: B.S. Ranga
Cast:
P. Bhanumathi,
Jamuna,
N.T. Rama Rao,
A NageshwaraRao,
ChittorV Nagaiah,
Surabhi Balasaraswathi,
Sandhya,
K. Mukkamala
Story: Megabudget trilingual featuring the legendary folk hero and jester in the government of Krishnadeva Raya, king of the Vijayanagara Empire 1509-30. The Bahamani Kingdom, in a protracted war with Vijayanagara, sends the dancer and courtesan Krishnasani (Bhanumathi) to seduce the king (.NTR) and to spy on him. The king falls in love with her and only an elaborate ruse by TenaIi RamaKrishna (Nageshwara Rao) and Chief Minister Timmarasu (Nagaiah), another legendary figure (and the -subject of an independent film biography by K. Kameshwara Rao in 1962), in which they disguise themselves as a holy man and his disciple, enables the king to realise the truth. Bhanumathi's musical presence was again the film's star attraction, The story had been filmed byH.M.Reddy in 1941.

Bhagya Rekha (1957)

B.N REDDY

Banner: Ponnaluri Bros
Director: B.N. Reddi
Music: Pendyala Nageshwara Rao
Story: Palagummi Padmaraju
Lyrics: Jr Devulapalli Krishna Sastry, Kosaraju, Adisesha Reddy
Cinematography: B.N. Konda Reddy
Cast:
T. Rama Rao,
Jamuna,
D. Hemalatha,
Govindrajulu Subba Ruo,
SowcarJanaki,
Relangi Venkatramaiah,
Lakshmikantam,
E.V. Saroja

SHAVUKAR JANAKI&GOVINDARAJULA SUBBA RAO

Story: Reddi's hit film (one of the few films he did not produce himself) tells of the orphan Lakshmi (Jamuna) who is raised by her kindly uncle Nayarana Rao and her evil aunt Jagadamba. Narayana Rao and Jagadamba already have two children: the boy Kotaiah who runs away to join the army and the spoilt daughter Katyani who wants to marry the manager of a cinema theatre. When Kalyani's fiance falls in love with Lakshmi, Lakshmi leaves and finds a second home when she restores a lost child to its mother- While Lakshmi works as a tutor to a rich girl whose brother Ravi (NTR) falls in love with her, auntJagadamba starts spreading malicious rumours, preventing [he lovers from marrying and driving Lakshmi away again. Ravi falls ill with frustration but eventually things are set right when the son Kotaiah returns home and discovers the injustice his mother inflicted on the heroine.

Ettuku Pai Yettu (1958)

Banner: Sarathi Pics
Director: Tapi Chanaky
Music: Master Venu
Story: Tapi Dharma Rao,Kondepudi, Chiranjeevi
Lyrics: Tapi Dharma Rao,Kondepudi, Chiranjeevi ,Kosaraju

Cast:
T.S. Balaiah,
SowkarJanaki,
C.S.R.Anjaneyulu,
Gummadi Venkateshwara Rao,
Relangi Venkatramaiah,
Lakshmirajyam,
V. Narasimha Rao,
Chittor V. Nagaiah,
Chhaya Devi,
Hemalatha
Story: Considered an avant-garde film at the time for casting unknown actors in a realist story of two warring elders, Kailasam (Anjaneyulu) and Govindaiah (Gummadi), who are eventually brought together by their sons. The film made Balaiah a star.