Gundamma Katha

Gundamma Katha
Directed by	Kamalakara Kameswara Rao
Produced by	B. Nagireddy Chakrapani
Written by	D.V.Narasa Raju
Starring	N. T. Rama Rao S. V. Ranga Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao Savitri Jamuna Suryakantham Ramana Reddy
Music by	Ghantasala
Cinematography	Marcus Bartley
Editing by	G. Kalyana Sundaram
Distributed by	Vijaya Pictures
Release dates	June 7, 1962
Running time	166 Minutes
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Gundamma Katha is a 1962 Telugu, drama film produced by B. Nagi Reddy and Chakrapani. The film is partially inspired by Shakesphere's, The Taming of the Shrew.

The plot revolves around the story of a proud mother, Gundamma and the way she was brought on track by her two young sons-in-law. The film was later remade into Tamil as Manithan Maravillai.^[1]

The ensemble cast, starred N. T. Rama Rao, Suryakantham, S. V. Ranga Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Jamuna Ramanarao, Savitri, Ramana Reddy, Rajanala Kaleswara Rao, Chaya Devi, L. Vijayalakshmi and Haranath

Plot

Gundamma (Suryakantham) is a rich widow who has a daughter Saroja (Jamuna Ramanarao), and son Prabhakar (Haranath) and a step daughter Lakshmi (Savitri). Both the girls are beautiful and intelligent. Saroja is a teen spoiled by her mother's pampering whereas Lakshmi is treated as a servant in her own house. Ramabhadraiah (S. V. Ranga Rao), who has two sons of marriageable age, is searching for suitable brides. Gundamma is interested in pursuing an alliance with Ramabhadraiah’s family for her daughter Saroja and sends a word through a middle man. It happens that he used to be a good friend of Gundamma's late husband. She wants to overcome the obstacle of her elder step daughter by getting her married to a down-and-out guy so she doesn’t have to get jeered for neglecting her step daughter. Kanchu Gantaiah (Ramana Reddy), Gundamma's manager and a cousin somehow wants Saroja to marry his son Bhupati (Rajanala) who happens to be a delinquent and is in a prison.

Meanwhile, Ramabhadraiah and his sons knew about Gundamma's avarice and her treatment of her children and decide to play a game to teach her a lesson. After deciding that Lakshmi will make a suitable match for his first son Anjaneya Prasad a.k.a. Anji (N. T. Rama Rao) and Saroja for his second son Raja (Akkineni Nageswara Rao), Ramabhadraiah, asks his sons to enact a drama to bring Gundamma and her overbearing daughter on track. The first son enters Gundamma's house as Anji, a street worthy servant and wins her heart instantly and even a place in her house as a helping hand. The second son Raja, with the aid of his cousin Padma (L. Vijayalakshmi), who happens to be Saroja's friend, enters as Ramabhadraiah's son, woos her, and ends up winning her heart. The servant son, with his humility and wit, wins Lakshmi's heart and asks Gundamma for Lakshmi's hand in marriage. Gundamma heeds under the impression that she will never find a more obliging and humble fool who would ever be at her behest. Anji marries Lakshmi.

Meanwhile,Gundamma is impressed by the second son for Saroja and is making plans for the wedding. However, she receives a letter from Ramabhadraiah that he is no longer interested in the alliance on hearing rumours that Gundamma poisoned her husband to death. Meanwhile Saroja wants to marry Raja at all costs Gundamma obliges again after coerced by Anji that a son in law in her own house will not raise a voice and that she can relish the company of her beloved daughter even after her marriage. After Saroja’s marriage Prabhakar is fascinated by Padma and wants to marry her and Anji accommodates that by convincing Gundamma. It is not long Gundamma and Saroja realises that Raja is a drunkard and a thief and Gundamma reverses her stance for Prabhakar’s marriage with Padma, which happens though.

Raja intensifies his acting as a drunkard and pretends that he is not Ramabhadraiah's real son and is a vagabond and a wanted thief. As Gundamma's problems are starting, Padma's paternal aunt Durgamma (Chaya Devi), a terror to even Gundamma enters their household. The cat fights which ensue between Gundamma' and Durgamma go out of control after a while. Raja deserts Saroja and then writes a letter to her asking her to accompany him. Saroja realises now, obliges and leaves Gundamma's house against her wishes. Gundamma is shattered with all these problems and at such a time, Gantaiah's son Bhupati, just released from prison, torments her even more. Thus Gundamma, in the absence of Prabhakar is confined to the out house of her own house by Padma's boisterous aunt and Gantaiah's prison educated son. Meanwhile, Anji also leaves the house with his wife Lakshmi.

It is a sweet turn for Lakshmi when Anji places her in the bungalow of Ramabhadraiah proclaiming her to be the mistress of the house and the daughter in law of Ramabhadraiah. She forgets her lifelong misery but still holds concern for her stepmother Gundamma and Saroja. Saroja is introduced as a gardener in the same bungalow by Raja and is humiliated by Ramabhadraiah as a servant. Saroja's conceit and arrogance break thus making her a well behaved wife. Meanwhile Gundamma is transformed into a humble woman following all of life's tortures in a short span. Lakshmi visits Gundamma and seeing her in a state of despair, evicts Durgamma and Bhupati with the help of Anji and brings Gundamma along to Ramabhadraiah’s house. In the interim, Saroja leaving Ramabhadraiah’s house in insult encounters Lakshmi who reveals to her that they both are now Ramabhadraiah’s daughters-in-law and that Raja being a drunkard and thief and the events that followed were all enacted by his sons, now their husbands. Gundamma is happy to see both of them are married into a good family and continues to live on with Ramabhadraiah’s family. ^[2]

Cast

• Suryakantham as Gundamma, a wealthy widow and mother of Lakshmi, Saroja and Prabhakar
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Ramabhadraiaha, a wealthy land-lord and father of the Anji and Raja
• N. T. Rama Rao as Anji a.k.a. Anjaneya Prasad, elder son of Ramabhadraiah and husband of the love-lorn stepdaughter of Gundamma
• Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Raja Younger son of Ramabhadraiah and husband of the overbearing daughter of Gundamma, Saroja.
• Ramana Reddy as Kanchu Gantaiah, the greedy cousin of Gundamma and wanting to get Saroja married to his delinquent son Bhupati
• Savitri as Lakshmi, the stepdaughter of Gundamma
• Jamuna Ramanarao as Saroja, the adamant and pampered daughter of Gundamma.
• Rajanala Kaleswara Rao as Bhupati, a fugitive and subsequently jailed son of Kanchu Gantaiah.
• L. Vijayalakshmi as Padma, the confident yet abiding daughter-in-law of Gundamma
• Haranath as Prabhakar, Son of Gundamma.
• Chaya Devi as Durgamma, Padma's aunt and portrayed as a greedy and voracious lady.
• Allu Ramalingaiah as Iyer, the owner of a hotel Gantaiah and Anji frequents

Soundtrack

Music is provided by Ghantasala.^[2]

References