Charana Daasi

Charana Daasi
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	T. Prakash Rao
Screenplay by	Vempati Sadasivabrahmam
Based on	Noukadubi by Rabindranath Tagore
Produced by	A. Sankara Reddy
Starring	N. T. Rama Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao Anjali Devi Savitri
Cinematography	P. L. Roy
Edited by	N. M. Shankar
Music by	S. Rajeswara Rao
Production company	Lalitha Films
Release date	20 December 1956 (1956-12-20)
Running time	196 minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Charana Daasi (transl. Wife) is a 1956 Indian Telugu-language drama film written by Vempati Sadasivabrahmam and directed by T. Prakash Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Anjali Devi and Savitri, with music composed by S. Rajeswara Rao. The film is based on Rabindranath Tagore's 1906 Bengali novel Noukadubi. It was simultaneously made in Tamil as Mathar Kula Manikkam (1956).

Plot[]

Venu and Lakshmi are lovers, but Venu is forcibly coupled up with a girl Devaki by his parents. Simultaneously, another wedding takes place in the same village, of an orthodox girl Parvathi which is disrupted due to dowry problems. During that plight, Dr. Chandra Shekar the best friend of Parvathi's brother marries her to keep them at save face. Due to the sudden espousal, the couple fails to notice. Parallelly, as it is unwilling alliance Venu too overlooks the bride. Both the bridal parties travel on the same train, which runs into a disastrous accident. In which, Venu's parents and wife die. Here, Venu mistakes Parvathi as his wife seeing her bridal dress and takes her home. Meanwhile, Shekar assumes that both his friend and wife are deceased. Fortuitously, on time, Venu realises the truth which he hides from Parvathi and engages himself in the relentless task of searching Parvathi's husband to unite them. Before he could succeed, Lakshmi misconstrues him by considering Parvathi as his wife. Right now, Parvathi also learns the truth and fled from Venu's house with mortifying when she tries to commit suicide. By means of the wheel of fortune, she is rescued by her mother-in-law Annapurna and lands at her husband's house. Nevertheless, knowing the reality she is disabled to divulge her identity being dastarded that Shekar may suspect her chastity. Besides, Lakshmi becomes lunatic due to Venu's deceit and she is admitted at Shekar's hospital. During the time of treatment, Lakshmi & Shekar convenient each other and their elders decide to merge them to which Parvathi also happily approves. Just in time, Venu arrives and imparts the facts when Shekar whole-heartedly accepts Parvathi and both of them thank Venu even Lakshmi feels sorry. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the marriage of Venu & Lakshmi.

Cast[]

• N. T. Rama Rao as Dr. Chandra Sekhar
• Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Venu
• Anjali Devi as Parvathi
• Savitri as Lakshmi
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Raghavaiah
• Relangi as Mahesham
• Ramana Reddy as Narsu & Krishna (dual role)
• Govindarajula Subba Rao as Basavaiah
• Chadalavada as Hanumanthu
• Perumallu as Rangaiah
• Kannamba as Annapurna
• Sowcar Janaki as Saroja
• Suryakantam as Seshamma
• Hemalatha as Venu's mother
• Kamala Lakshman as Vasavadatta in Svapnavasavadattam Dance Drama
• Ragini as Dancer
• Ambika Sukumaran as Dancer

Production[]

The film is based on Rabindranath Tagore's novel, Noukadubi. The director T. Prakash Rao chose to replace the boat crash sequence in the novel with a train accident in the film, inspired by a real event that took place near Ariyalur. The film was shot simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu languages, with the Tamil version titled Mathar Kula Manikkam.^[1]

Soundtrack[]

Music composed by S. Rajeswara Rao.^[2]

Release[]

Charanadasi and Mathar Kula Manikkam, the Telugu and Tamil versions respectively, were released the same year and were box-office successes.^[1]

References[]

External links[]

• Charana Daasi at IMDb