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Telugu Film Industry

The Telugu movie Industry is the biggest film Industry in India, second being Bollywood. Among regional film industries Telugu Film Industry is the biggest. The Telugu movie industry is based in the state of A.P in India. The total number of movies released in Tollywood in year 2006, is 243, those languages are by Hindi, (Bollywood) (223 Movies) and Tamil Film Industry (Kollywood) ( 160 Movies )

Currently, about 243 Telugu movies are released every year with approximately 3 releases every week. As like with any other film industry telugu movie industry produces all kinds of movies. However an average number of good movies continue to be released every year. In 2005, the annual turnover reached to Rs. 2.3 Billion ($52 Million) on ticket sales of 700 million. Popular movies tend to open during the three festive/holiday seasons of the region: Sankranthi, Summer, and Dushera. In 2004, the total business for the Sankranthi season was around Rs. 1.5 Billion (150 Crores). There are at least three television TV channels that are dedicated exclusively to feature programs related to Telugu movies.

Below is a chart of box office collections of Tollywood with figures in millions of Indian Rupees.

The Telugu film industry accounts for 1% of the gross domestic product of Andhra Pradesh.

History :
Early development: 1921-1930

Early development: 1921-1930 The Telugu film industry originated with the silent film in 1921, with the production of Bhisma Pratighna. The film was directed by Raghupati Venkaiah and his son R.S. Prakash. The two would go on to produce and direct dozens of films throughout the decade, casting theater actors in major roles. They established a long-lasting precedent of focusing exclusively on religious themes; Nandanar, Gajendra Moksham, and Matsyavatar, three of their most famous productions, centered on religious figures, parables, and morals. Rise of the Talkie: 1931-1947 In 1931, the first Telugu film with audible dialogue, Bhakta Prahlad, was produced by H.M. Reddy. Popula rly known as 'talkies', films with sound quickly grew in number and fanbase. In 1934, the industry saw its first major commercial success with Lavakusa. Directed by C. Pullaiah and starring Parupalli Subbarao and Sriranjani in lead roles, the film attracted unprecedented numbers of viewers to theaters and thrust the young film industry into mainstream culture. By 1936, the mass appeal of film allowed directors to move a way from religious and mythological themes. That year, under the direction of Krithiventi Nageswara Rao, Prema Vijayam, a film focusing on social issues, was released. Its success prompted the production of dozens of other immensely successful 'social films', notably 1939's Vandemataram and Malli Pelli. Touching on societal problems like the status of Untouchables and the practice of giving dowry, Telugu films increasingly focused on contemporary living: twenty-nine of the ninety-six films released between 1937 and 1947 had social themes. The outbreak of World War II and the subsequent resource scarcity caused the British Raj to impose a limit on the use of filmstrip in 1943 to 11,000 feet, a sharp reduction from the 20,000 feet that was common till then. As a result, the number of films produced during the War was substantially lower than in previous years. Nonetheless, prior to the ban, an important shift occurred in the industry: independent studios formed, actors and actresses were signed to contracts limiting who they could work for, and films moved from social themes to folklore legends. 1942's Balanagamma typified these changes: the film featured fantasy elements of cultural lore, was produced by Gemini Studios, and its producers added a restricting clause to the lead actress' contract. By 1947, nearly all films were produced by studios with contracted actors.

Budgets

The budgets for Telugu movies typically range between 7-15 crores per film. Pre-lease revenues for popular films can range between 12-20 crores per film and post-release business for these movies can be around 25-40 crores depending on the success of the movie. Popular actors like Megastar Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu, Pawan Kalyan, and Jr.NTR are some of the highest paid actors in Tollywood. Singers: Telugu film industry has the repute of producing many singers like Ghantasala and S.P. Bala Subramanyam. S.P.B holds the record singing maximum number of songs (39000 songs approximately).

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Vande Mataram (1939)

Banner: Vauhini
Story & Direction: BN Reddy
Screenplay & Camera: Ramnath
Dialogues & Lyric s: Samudrala Raghavacharya
Music: Chittoor V Nagaiah
Cast: Chittoor V Nagaiah, Kanchana Mala, Linga Murthy, Kalyani, Seshamamba, usha Rani

About the film:

Vande Mataram is the debut production of Vauhini banner and is also that of pioneering filmmaker BN Redd

y. The elaborate melodrama, based on Reddy's own unpublished short story 'Mangala Sutram', presented the problems of uneven development in terms of an emotional conflict between an innocent feudal rural female and a worldly-wise capitalist urban male.

Hero Raghu (Nagaiah), an unemployed graduate, insists on marrying a village girl Janaki (Kanchanamala) despite the opposition of his scheming mother who wants a dowry. Raghu's unemployment problems continue despite his migration towards city, leaving his wife in the clutches of her mother-in-law. When Raghu wins a lottery for Rs 5 lakhs and returns home, he finds his wife and inf

ant son have left.

Although his mother insists he marry again, Raghu goes to the city and dedicates himself to social work, includin

g building factories in order to create emp

loyment opportunities. In this his rich female college friend, provoking gossip around their relationship, assists him. Raghu's wife, now a poor flower seller, sees her husband with his new friend and believes he has married. Eventually the misunderstanding is revolved.

A major commercial hit, this film engages the agenda of reform and nationalistic movements: Raghu names a lottery ticket seller Vande Matharam, which mean 'Hail to the Mother' and one of the India's national anthems, and tramples underfoot his 'foreign' degree in a scene that caused censor problems. The film also introduces numerous stereotypes, e.g. the suave urban crook and stage-stuck villager (who marries the Hero's sister).

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Mana Desam (1949)


Cast: Chittur V Nagaiah, Narayana Rao, NT Rama Rao, Relangi Venkatramaiah, Van gara, Ramanatha Sastry, C Krishna Veni, Kanchana, Surabhi Bala Saraswati, Hemalatha, Lakshmikantham, SV Rangarao
Director: LV Prasad
Screenplay, Dialogues and Lyrics: Samudrala Raghavacharya
Banner: MRA Productions
Camera: MA Rehman
Music: Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao

About the film:

Produced by the actress Krishnaveni, this is a political melodrama about India's freedom struggle. Shobha (Krishnaveni), a critic of the Congress Party, argues with Madhu (Narayana Rao), a supporter, and they fall in love. Both get caught up in repressive police violence and are arrested. When independence is achieved, Madhu develops amnesia as a result of torture by the police, but his memory returns and eventually he marries Sobha.

The film included several symbolic scenes including a prostitute and a bottle of liquor in front of Gandhi portrait while a Nagaiah song bem

oans the speed at which India forgot Gandhi's teachings.

This film is remembered mainly as Telugu megastar NT Rama Rao's debut as a police inspector, and as singer Ghantasala's first composing assignment. This film relies heavily on Burrakatha and Oggukatha folk forms, introduced here via songwriter Raghavacharya and widely used in the propagandist theatre of the Praja Natya Mandali.

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Devadasu (1953)

One can't stop ending up shedding tears when one watch tragic classics like 'Laila Majnu', 'Ambika Pati', 'Amaraavati' and 'Anarkali'. All the films that belong to this genre,

begins with a rosy love story and ends up with the lovers opting the suicide as the last resort. The theme of these stories is 'The Destiny of Love is Death'. Even 'Devadasu' belongs to this g

enre.

PC Baruva produced the original 'Devidasu' in Hindi. In 1937, this film was remade into Tamil. CV Rao played the role of 'Devadasu'. Incidentally CV is the director of this film too. GP Rajani acted as 'Parvati'.

In the year 1953, Telugu film industry was going through a boom. Rama Krishna's 'Bratuku Teruvu', Bhanumati's 'Chandi Rani', Krishna Swamy's 'Gumasta', KS Prakas Rao's 'Kanna Talli', Kaduru Nagabhushanam's 'Lakshmi', YV Rao's 'Manjari', Nagayya's 'Naa Illu', LV Prasad's 'Paradesi' and 'Penpudu Koduku', T Prakas rao's 'Pichi Pullayya' and P Pullayya's 'Pak

kinti Ammai' were the films released in that year along with 'Devadasu'. At that time Raj Kapoor and Nargis's 'Aag' was dubbed as 'Premalekhalu' and it was doing well. BN Saroja and P

rem Nazir's 'Tandri' and Madhuri Devi and Natarajan's 'Rohini' were the other dubbed films that did well in that year.

In this context Devadasu's shooting was started. Chakrapani has translated a Bengali Navel and produced this film. PC Baruva's 'Devadasu' was released in 1935. KL Sigel and Jamuna acted in the main roles. They used modern techniques like Close-up and Montage shots. Even the Telugu version is no less compared to it's Hindi original. Hero of the film Akkineni Nageswara Rao's role

was very similar to the roles he played in the earlier films. He was labeled as the tragedy king. It was a cake walk for Akkineni to do this role of 'Devadasu'. He got accolades for his performance in 'Devadasu'. Akkineni is modest in saying that 'Devadasu' is the product of team work. "Vendantamgaru used to m

ake me stay awake during nights and shoot the scenes as he believed that kick of liquor can be seen in the eyes of Devadasu during night time" admits Akkineni.

Everybody knew the story of 'Devadasu' before the release of film. A poor girl falls in love with a rich guy. Parents of the rich guy will not agree to get them married. As a result the poor girl gets married to a rich old man. Later on there were

a couple of films by Akkineni done in the same genre. They are Prem Nagar and Premabhishekam. The character of Parvati was transformed into the characters of 'Latha' and 'Devi'.

Devadasu was one of the most memorable films for Telugu people. The songs in this film are popular even today. 'Jagame Maayaa', 'Palleku Podam .. Paarunu Choodaam', 'Kudi Edamaithe' are the few unforgettable song of Devadasu.Major credit goes to Ghantasala, the singer and CR Subbaram, the music director.

In 1955, Vedantam Raghavayya produced another love film, Anarkali. This film is another musical hit. Vedantam repeated Akkineni in almost all the films produced by him. One cannot forget the histrionic performance f Akkineni in 'Anarkali', 'Bhale Ra

mudu', 'Suvarna Sundari' and 'Bhale Ammailu'. But in 'Chiranjeevulu', another film by Vedantam, NTR too acted with Akkineni. Jamuna was the heroine in that film.

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Gundamma Katha (1962)

Duration: 2 Hrs. 46 minutes
Format: Black and White
Banner: Vijaya
Director: Kamalakara Kameswara Rao
Story: Chakrapani

Dialogues: DV Narasaraju
Lyrics: Pingali Nagendra Rao
Camera: Marcus Bartley
Music: Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao
Cast: NT Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, SV Ranga Rao, Savitri, Vijaya Lakshmi, Jamuna, Relangi Venkat Ramaiah, Chayadevi, Haranath, Rajanala, Ramana Reddy
Producers: Chakrapani & B Nagi Reddy


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Khaidi (1983)

Banner: Samyukta Movies
Director: A Kodandarami Reddy
Cast: Chiranjeevi, Madhavi, Sumalata, Ravu Gopal Rao, Nutan Prasad, PL Narayana, Ranganath, Sangeeta, Chalapati Rao
Story & Dialogues: Paruchuri Brothers
Producers: K Dhanunjaya Reddy, K Narasa Reddy & S Sudhakara Reddy
Lyrics: Veturi Sundara Rammurthy & Rajasri
Music: Chakravarthy
Camera: VSR Swamy

About the film:

This film is an action thriller establishing Chiranjeevi as a megastar. Having been falsely accused of crime, he becomes lone avenger. The poor Suryam(Chiranjeevi) falls for university colleague Madhu (Madhavi). In retaliation Madhu's father and village landlord Veerabhadraiah ((Ravu Gopal Rao) auctions the house of Suryam's

father, the peasant Venkateswarlu (PL Narayana).

The landlord's associate in the villainy, the village munsiff (Nutan Prasad), kills Suryam's sister and accuses Suryam of the deed. The landlord later tortures him. They also kill Dr Sujata (Sumalata) when she offers shelter to the hero. The film begins with Suryam's escape from the police after a spectacular fight and much of the story deals with his efforts to dodge arrest while getting at the bad guys. IN the end he kills Veerabhadraiah and munsiff before surrendering to the police.

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