Retrospect: Subhalekha 1982

Retrospect: Subhalekha 1982
Feb 7, 2006, 06:00


Prashanti Creations
Subhalekha (1982)

Technical Details:
35 mm
Color
Reels: 15
Duration: 2 hrs 20 minutes
Censor Date: June 03, 1982
Release Date: June 11, 1982

Cast:
Chiranjeevi ... Narasimha Murthy
Sumalatha ... Sujatha
J.V. Ramana Murthy ... Jagannatham
K. Satyanarayana ... Ankela Adiseshayya
Tulasi ... Lakshmi
Girish ... Mohan
Hemasundar ... Bhattu
Jitmohan Mitra ... Keshava Rao
Ch. Krishnamurthy ... Srinivasa Rao
Nirmalamma ... Narasimha Murthy's grandmother
Potti Prasad ... Subba Rao
Pushpakumari ... Sujatha's mother
Rallapalli ... Gurnadham
Vankayala ... Challeshwara Rao
Subhalekha Sudhakar (debut) ... Murali
Arun (debut) ... Rao
Allu Ramalingayya (guest) ... Lawyer Chillara Bhavani Sankaram
Anupama, Baburao, Dham, Ganeshwara Rao, Krishna Chaitanya, Malini, Phani, Sakshi Rangarao, Srinivas

Dialogues: Gollapudi Maruthi Rao
Photography: Lok Singh
Operative Cameraman: Sharath
Editing: G.G. Krishna Rao
Art: Thota Tarani
Choreography (Dances): Parupalli V Seshu
Music: K.V. Mahadevan
Playback: S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, S.P. Sailaja, S. Janaki, Purnachadnra Rao
Lyrics: Tallapaka Annamacharya, Veturi Sundararamamurthy
Producer: Allu Aravind, V.V. Sastry
Story, Screenplay, Direction: K. Viswanath

Songs:
vinnapaalu vinavale vintavintalu
Lyric: Tallapaka Annamacharya
Playback: S. Janaki
Cast: None (Titles song)

OhO taddhimi takajhaNu
Lyric: Veturi Sundararamamurthy
Playback: S. Janaki, Purnachadnra Rao
Cast: Chiranjeevi

neyyamulallO nErELLO, oyyana ooreDi uvviLLO
Lyric: Tallapaka Annamacharya
Playback: S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
Cast: Chiranjeevi

raagaala pallakilO kOyilamma raalEdu eevELa endukammaa?
Lyric: Veturi Sundararamamurthy
Playback: S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela
Cast: Chiranjeevi, Sumalatha

sarvadaa Sreekaram dEvI (verse)
Playback: S. Janaki
Cast: Sumalatha

nee jaDa kucchulu naa meDakucchulu kanuka
Lyric: Veturi Sundararamamurthy
Playback: S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, S.P. Sailaja
Cast: Subhalekha Sudhakar, Tulasi

marugElaraa O raaghavaa
Playback: S.P. Sailaja
Cast: Chiranjeevi, Sumalatha

aitE adi nijamaitE adE nijamaitE
Lyric: Veturi Sundararamamurthy
Playback: S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, S.P.Sailaja
Cast: Chiranjeevi

Story:
Hema (Sumalatha) is an M.Com. graduate and hails from the middle class. She refuses the marriage proposal of Mohan (Girish), son of the Councilor Ankela Adiseshayya (Satyanarayana), as they demand dowry. This creates problems in her household, which leads her to walk away from the house. Murthy (Chiranjeevi), a hotel server, helps her get a job and supports her in her troubles and gets her marriage fixed with Rao (Arun Kumar). Meanwhile, Hema's sister drags into love Adiseshayya's youngest son Murali (Subhalekha Sudhakar) in order to teach a lesson to Adiseshayya. Who will marry Hema, Murthy or Rao?

Subhalekha Sudhakar speaks:

Subhalekha Sudhakar
After completing my B.Com., I joined the Madras Film Institute as I was interested in films since childhood. After completing the course, I went and met Viswanath gaaru when my principal informed me that he was looking for new artistes for the film Saptapadi. But, Girish, a senior to me in the Institute, was selected for the role. I joined Taj Coramandel as receptionist and used to work in night shifts so that I could look for roles in the day. One day, when I went to hotel for my duty, I was informed that Viswanath gaaru left a message for me to come and meet him. I went and met him the very next day. A photo session was held for Tulasi, Sumalatha, and I at Sree Edida Nageshwara Rao's house; I was selected for the role of Murali, the youngest son of Ankela Adiseshayya (Satyanarayana). My first remuneration was Rs.1,116/-. The first schedule at Vizag was a song with Tulasi (nee jaDa kucchulu...). We first practiced that song from morning to midnight. I was not good at dancing and was not at all comfortable with it. Dance master Seshu gaaru, Tulasi and I were working together for that song. After the dance rehearsal, I was exhausted and thought acting was just not my cup of coffee (Sudhakar prefers coffee then Tea) and wanted to go back. But, then, I wanted to give a try one more day. ...Seeing the film after so many years, I still feel that I could have done a better job if the song was shot towards the end of my shooting for the movie than as my very first film schedule. After the Vizag schedule, we shifted to Hyderabad. The film was a good success that celebrated 100 days in some centers and even 125 days in some centers. I was one of the fortunate ones who got a good debut and a good hit, also while working with the legend Viswanath gaaru my first film.

About the film:
Chiranjeevi and K. Viswanath worked first time for this film. For Sumalatha, this is the first big hit. Though she did a couple of films under the direction of Bapu gaaru, they didn’t do her career any good. Films like Rajadhiraju and Pelleedu Pillalu didn’t work out at the BO. This film was a good hit at BO and she later worked with Chiranjeevi in films like Aalayashikharam, Khaidi, Agnigundam, Veta, etc. (Though she did Pasivadi Pranam, Swayamkrushi, Gangleader, etc. she didn’t paired with him). Chiranjeevi and Viswanath later worked together in the films like Swayamkrushi and Aapatbaandhavudu. The film won the Nandi award that year and also fetched many awards to Chiranjeevi. His dancing abilities were shown as best in that film at that time. He really worked hard for the dance scene that comes as an ad shooting, showing him in different classical dance forms. Chiranjeevi is at his best in all the scenes, particularly in the episodes where he deals Bhattu (Hemasundar). The film was also the debut film for Arun Kumar. This is the second film of Gollapudi with K. Viswanath.

Viswanath repeated some scenes of Saptapadi in this film too. Of particular mention are the BGM of DOlaayanchala DOlaayaam symbolizing the condition of the heroine and the song marugElaraa O raaghavaa used in both these films. One scene of Sirisirimuvva was also repeated in this – the scene where the heroine decides about the hero is shown in a similar fashion. The film was shot partly at Dolphin Hotel in Vishakhapatnam and surroundings and in Hyderabad at Bhagyanagar Studios. Though the story deals with dowry system, K. Viswanath repeats the story in the lines of Sirisirimuvva, where the hero helps the heroine get out of her troubles, and the heroine falls in love with the hero towards the end.

The film was later remade into Hindi under the title Subhkaamnaa (1983). Rakesh Roshan, who earlier remade Subhodayam in Hindi, remade this film with Rathi Agnihotri doing the role of Sumalatha, while Rakesh himself did the role of Chiranjeevi.

Sharath, who worked later with S. Gopal Reddy before he became a cameraman independently, worked as an assistant to Lok Singh in this film. Camera is one of the major plus points of the film.

The film was released in Sandhya 35 mm in Hyderabad and celebrated 100 days in that theatre. The film might have been a bigger hit if it was delayed for some more time, as Chiranjeevi's another film Intlo Ramayya - Veedhilo Krishnayya was still running successfully in Shanti at that time. There was not even two months gap between these films. Intlo Ramayya - Veedhilo Krishnayya celebrated one year in Shanti. Incidentally, both the films have dialogues by Sri Gollapudi Maruthi Rao.

Acknowledgements : Sri Subhaleka Sudhakar
Editied and compiled by Nachaki

Comments: The film has Menu with Play movie, Songs and Chapters menu. Released through SV Entertainers. Available at www.southindiandvd.com

By Sri



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