Adavi Ramudu (transl. Forest Ramu) is a 1977 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao, Jayaprada and Jayasudha, with supporting roles played by Nagabhushanam, Satyanarayana, Gummadi and Jaggayya.[1] The film was edited by Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan and cinematography by A. Vincent.[1]
| Adavi Ramudu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | K. Raghavendra Rao |
| Written by | Jandhyala (dialogues) |
| Screenplay by | K. Raghavendra Rao |
| Story by | Satya Chitra Unit |
| Produced by | Satyanarayana Suryanarayana |
| Starring | N. T. Rama Rao Jayaprada Jayasudha |
| Cinematography | A. Vincent |
| Edited by | Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao Kotagiri Gopala Roa |
| Music by | K. V. Mahadevan |
Production company | Satya Chitra |
Release date |
|
Running time | 143 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Released on 28 April 1977, Adavi Ramudu received positive reviews and became a commercial success, running for 366 days in theatres. It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu and re-established N. T. Rama Rao as a leading star in Telugu cinema.[2] The film was a major breakthrough for director K. Raghavendra Rao, helping him gain prominence in the industry. It was the highest-grossing Telugu film of the 1970s until the record was surpassed by Premabhisekham in 1981.[3]
Plot
editDharma Raju and his son Nagaraju run a smuggling and illegal transport racket of forest produce. Ramu opposes and raises the villagers to fight against him. Padma who is the daughter of forest officer loves him. One tribal lady Chilakamma also loves Ramu as a brother. Dharma Raju takes the help of one Jaggu to send Ramu away from the forest. The second half of the film reveals that Ramu is, in fact, a forest officer in a secret mission to investigate the case of forest affairs. The story finally leads to the arrest of all criminals.
Cast
edit- N. T. Rama Rao as Ramu
- Jayaprada as Padma
- Jayasudha as Chilakamma
- Nagabhushanam as Dharmaraju
- Satyanarayana as Nagaraju
- Gummadi as Raja Shekaram
- Jaggayya
- Raja Babu as Bheemanna
- Sridhar as Jaggu
- Mallikarjuna Rao
- Mada
- Pandari Bai
- Rama Prabha
- Kavitha
- Baby Rohini as Gowri
Soundtrack
edit| Adavi Ramudu | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 1977 |
| Genre | Filmi |
| Length | 27:24 |
| Producer | K. V. Mahadevan |
The music was composed by K. V. Mahadevan. Lyrics were written by Veturi.[4] The song "Aarasukoboyi" was recreated for a 2004 film with the same name.
| S. No | Song title | Singers | length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Krushi Vunte Manushulu Rushulautaru" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 6:07 |
| 2 | "Ammathodu Abbathodu" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, S. Janaki | 4:20 |
| 3 | "Aarasukoboyi Paaresukunnanu" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela | 4:17 |
| 4 | "Ennallakennaallaku Ennellu" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, S. Janaki | 4:36 |
| 5 | "Kuku Kuku Kokilamma" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela | 4:38 |
| 6 | "Choodara Choodara" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, S. Janaki | 3:29 |
Production
editDevelopment
editThe success of Rajkumar's Gandhada Gudi (1972), which had a forest backdrop, inspired N. T. Rama Rao to pursue a similar theme for his next project.[1][2] After the failure of Prema Bandham (1976), producers Nekkanti Veera Venkata Satyanarayana and Arumilli Suryanarayana of Satya Chitra banner approached Rama Rao to collaborate on Adavi Ramudu. They chose K. Raghavendra Rao, who had just started his directorial career and was familiar to Rama Rao from assisting Kamalakara Kameswara Rao on Pandava Vanavasam (1965). Rama Rao agreed to the project, and Jandhyala was brought in to write the script and dialogues.[1]
Casting
editJayasudha, who had worked with Raghavendra Rao on Raja (1976), was cast in a significant role, while Jayaprada, a rising star following the success of Siri Siri Muvva (1976), was chosen as the heroine. Sridhar was selected for another important role opposite Jayasudha. Jayasudha was unaware of playing a secondary role until the last minute, but since she had already agreed to do the film, she just went ahead keeping faith in Raghavendra Rao. Despite receiving positive feedback for her performance, she received letters from fans advising her to avoid second-lead roles in future films.[1]
Although Rama Rao had committed to Adavi Ramudu, he was also filming Daana Veera Soora Karna (1977) simultaneously and assured the producers that he would provide bulk dates after completing the latter project. The team proceeded with filming, confident in their cast and crew.[1]
Filming
edit
The majority of the film was shot in the dense Madumalai forest, except for the opening scene, which was filmed in a Madras studio on 9 January 1977. Adavi Ramudu was the first film for which Rama Rao had given dates for more than a month (35 days) outside Madras. It also marked Rama Rao's first colour film shot in Cinemascope, using a special lens imported from Japan. Cinematographer A. Vincent, who had previously worked with Rama Rao on Sontha Vooru (1956), returned to collaborate on this film after a long break.[5]
Due to the remote location, the production team faced logistical challenges. With only three government guesthouses available, they built new accommodations for the 300-member cast and crew, working for 50 days to set up temporary facilities. Supplies had to be transported daily from Mysore, 250 km away.[5]
Jayasudha recalled two accidents during filming. In one instance, both she and Jayaprada were thrown from elephants during a scene when the animals were startled by noise from junior artists. They escaped with minor injuries. In another incident, during a chase sequence, a horse cart axle broke, resulting in injuries for both actresses, requiring them to rest for a few days.[5]
Release
editThe film was released on 28 April 1977 to positive reviews.[6]
Reception
editAdavi Ramudu was a significant box office success, setting multiple records upon its release. It became the first film to collect more than ₹80 lakh in its first 50 days and the first to reach ₹1 crore within 67 days (10 weeks).[7]
The film completed a 100-day run in 32 centers, a 175-day run in 16 centers, and a 200-day run in 8 centers. It ran for 302 days at Apsara Theatre in Vijayawada and achieved a full-year (365-day) run in four centers, including Hyderabad, Vizag, Tirupati, and Vijayawada.[3] Adavi Ramudu was the first Indian film to run for a full year in four centres within a single state, breaking the previous record held by Sholay (1975), which ran for a year in three centers in Maharashtra.[7]
As of 2008, it still held the record for the longest run in Secunderabad, with 161 days of continuous screenings.[6]
Legacy
editThe film re-brought N, T. Rama Rao into the league of top heroes of the Telugu film Industry The success of the film made K. Raghavendra Rao an established director in Telugu cinema. The title of the film was used for a 2004 film.
Awards
edit- Filmfare Award for Best Film - Telugu - N. V. V. Satyanarayana (1977)
- Nandi Award for Best Cinematographer - A. Vincent (1977)[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Retrospect: Adavi Ramudu (1977)". Telugucinema.com. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Kartavya (1979)". The Hindu. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ a b "'Adavi Ramudu' Shares At Various Centres". Cinegoer. 17 January 2007. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
- ^ "Adavi Ramudu (1977)-Song_Booklet". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Retrospect: Adavi Ramudu (1977)". Telugucinema.com. p. 2. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Adavi Ramudu: 29 years passed but the magic still remains". Idlebrain.com. 28 April 2005.
- ^ a b Sri (27 November 2008). "Retrospect: Adavi Ramudu (1977)". Telugucinema.com. p. 3. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. Retrieved 21 August 2020.(in Telugu)
External links
edit- Adavi Ramudu at IMDb