. |
|
. |
|
. |
MANA DESAM
|
Mana Desam (1949)
|
|
Cast: Chittur V Nagaiah, Narayana Rao, NT Rama Rao, Relangi Venkatramaiah, Vangara, 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 bemoans 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.
|
Source:
'Alanati Chalana Chitram' by KNT Sastry (published by Cinema Group) |
|
|
. |
|
. |
|
|
. |