Dharma Patni (film)

Dharma Patni or Dharmapatni (English: Wife) is a 1941 Telugu drama film, produced and directed by P. Pullaiah under the Famous Films banner. It stars Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, P. Santha Kumari and Hemalatha in the lead roles, with music composed by Timir Baran-Annasaheb Mainkar. The film is the debut of veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao, who played a minor child role at the age of 17 years, and also that of the famous writer-cum-producer Aluri Chakrapani.[1][2][3]

Dharmapatni
Theatrical release poster
Directed byP. Pullaiah
Produced byP. Pullaiah
P. Santha Kumari (presents)
Written byAluri Chakrapani (dialogues)
Screenplay byP. Pullaiah
Story byV. S. Khandekar
StarringBhanumathi Ramakrishna
P. Santha Kumari
Hemalatha
Akkineni Nageswara Rao
Music byTimir Baran
Annasaheb Mainkar
CinematographyS. K. Pai
Edited byBaburao Barodkar
Production
company
Famous Films
Release date
1941
Running time
  • 10 January 1941 (1941-01-10)
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu

Plot

Five-year-old Radha's dying mother hands the custody of Radha to the devadasi Sridevi, who promises henceforth she would lead a pure life. Sridevi teaches the child the virtues of a housewife. In the school, Radha befriends Mohan and as they grow, love blossoms between Radha and Mohan. Mohan takes her to the temple and pledges before the deity that she shall be his wife. The lecherous Ananda Rao informs Mohan's father that his son was seeing the daughter of a harlot Sridevi. Mohan's father forces his son to marry Uma from a rich family. Uma traces Mohan's disinterest in her to Radha and leaves him. Leela, a victim of Ananda Rao saves Uma from Rao's trap. Ananda Rao murders Leela and implicates Mohan. Radha, in order to save Mohan, decides to meet Ananda Rao, who assures her he had the evidence to prove Mohan's innocence. Finally, truth gets out and Mohan is saved from the gallows. His parents accept Radha. Uma realizes her folly and unites with Mohan.

Cast
  • Bhanumathi Ramakrishna as Uma
  • Santha Kumari as Radha
  • Akkineni Nageswara Rao
  • Uppaluri Hanumantha Rao as Mohan
  • Hemalatha
  • Rallabandi Kutumba Rao as Ananda Rao
  • K. Lakshmi Narasimha Rao
  • Achari
  • Adinarayanaiah
  • Peddapuram Raju as Sridevi
  • Chalapathi Rao
  • Narimani
  • Susheela
  • Master Kumar as Child Mohan
  • Baby Lakshmi as Child Radha

Crew
  • Art: H. S. Gang Naik
  • Choreography:
  • Dialogues: Aluri Chakrapani
  • Lyrics: Balijepalli Lakshmikantham, Daita Gopalam
  • Playback: Bhanumathi Ramakrishna
  • Music: Timir Baran, Annasaheb Mainkar
  • Story: V. S. Khandekar
  • Editing: Baburao Barodkar
  • Cinematography: S. K. Pai
  • Presenter: P. Santha Kumari
  • Screenplay - Producer - Director: P. Pullaiah
  • Banner: Famous Films
  • Release Date: 10 January 1941

Songs
  • "Anuraagam Leka Anandamunda" (Lyrics: Daita Gopalam; Singer: P. Bhanumathi)
  • "Nilu Niluma Neelavarnaa" (Lyrics: Balijepalli Lakshmikantham; Singer: P. Bhanumathi)

Production

This was based on Marathi writer Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar's stories, which were made at Shalini Cinetone, Kolhapur. The lead actor Hanumantha Rao was the son of popular stage actor Uppuluri Sanjeeva Rao. He later acted two more movies, Bheeshma Pratigna and Vandemataram before settling down as a Municipal Health Officer in Bhimavaram. Though Viswanatha Satyanarayana was assigned to write the dialogues, but since they were too grammatical, Aluri Venkata Subbarao (Chakrapani, then already popular for his Telugu translations of Bengali writer Sarathchandra Chatterjee's works) was roped in. Annasaheb Mainkar composed several musical hits in Hindi and Marathi and Dharmapatni was his only Telugu film.

References
  1. "Chakrapani - 100 years". Telugu Cinema. Archived from the original on 22 January 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  2. "History of birth and growth of Telugu cinema". Cinegoer. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  3. M. L. NARASIMHAM (4 September 2011). "DHARMAPATHNI (1941)". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
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