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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|1968 film by N. T. Rama Rao}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}<br />
{{Infobox film<br />
| name = Varakatnam<br />
| image = Varakatnam.jpg<br />
| caption = Theatrical release poster<br />
| story = N. T. Rama Rao<br />
| producer = [[N. Trivikrama Rao]]<br />
| director = [[N. T. Rama Rao]]<br />
| starring = N. T. Rama Rao<br />[[Krishna Kumari (actress)|Krishna Kumari]]<br />[[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]]<br />
| music = [[T. V. Raju]]<br />
| cinematography = [[Ravikant Nagaich]]<br />
| editing = G. D. Joshi<br />
| studio = [[Ramakrishna Cine Studios|Ramakrishna & NAT Combines]]<br />
| released = {{film date|1969|1|10|df=y}}<br />
| runtime = 176 minutes<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://indiancine.ma/texts/indiancine.ma%3AEncyclopedia_of_Indian_Cinema/text.pdf |title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-19-563579-5 |editor-last=Rajadhyaksha |editor-first=Ashish |pages=398 |access-date=26 July 2019 |orig-year=1994 |editor-last2=Willemen |editor-first2=Paul |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821193440/https://indiancine.ma/texts/indiancine.ma%3AEncyclopedia_of_Indian_Cinema/text.pdf |archive-date=21 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />
| country = India<br />
| language = Telugu<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''''Varakatnam''''' ({{trans|Dowry}}) is a 1969 Indian [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]], produced by [[N. Trivikrama Rao]] under the banner [[Ramakrishna Cine Studios|Ramakrishna & NAT Combines]] and directed by his older brother [[N. T. Rama Rao]]. It stars Rama Rao, [[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]] and [[Krishna Kumari (actress)|Krishna Kumari]], with music composed by [[T. V. Raju]]. The film won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu]].<ref name="National Awards Winners 1968: Complete list of winners of National Awards 1968">{{cite news|last1=Times of India|first1=Entertainment|title=National Awards Winners 1968: Complete list of winners of National Awards 1968|work=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-awards/national-awards-winners/1968/108|accessdate=11 August 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511142357/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-awards/national-awards-winners/2005/108|archivedate=12 May 2021}}</ref><br />
<br />
== Plot ==<br />
There are two neighbouring villages. "Meesaala" Venkaiah is the head farmer of one village who is high on self-respect and sternness. Bhadraiah, the head farmer of the other village, is also quite confident but with little less property. The alliance of Bhadraiah's daughter Sujatha is fixed with Venkaiah's son Devasimha. During the time of the wedding, a troublemaker injects an idea to Venkaiah to demand the dowry before the marriage when Bhadraiah's short-tempered son Balaramaiah becomes furious and quarrels with them. As a result, the wedding is called off, Devasimha is dragged away by his father and the bride starts to cry. After that, both the families plan to make different marriages to the couple which Devasimha opposes. He reaches Sujatha and secretly marries her with the help and blessings of Sujatha's sensible sister-in-law Subhadra. The rest of the story is how Devasimha clears the differences between two families and fights against the dowry system.<br />
<br />
== Cast ==<br />
*[[N. T. Rama Rao]] as Devasimha<br />
*[[Krishna Kumari (actress)|Krishna Kumari]] as Sujatha<br />
*[[Nagabhushanam (actor)|Nagabhushanam]] as "Meesala" Venkaiah<br />
*[[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]] as Subhadra<br />
*[[Kaikala Satyanarayana]] as Balaramaiah<br />
*[[Mikkilineni (actor)|Mikkilineni]] as Bhadraiah<br />
*[[Suryakantham (actress)|Suryakantham]] as Chukkamma<br />
*[[Relangi (actor)|Relangi]] as Rangaiah<br />
*[[Padmanabham (actor)|Padmanabham]] as Devaiah<br />
*[[Chandrakala]] as Lakshmi<br />
*[[Rajanala Kaleswara Rao|Rajanala]] as Mallu Dora<br />
*[[Raavi Kondala Rao]] as Bhattumurthy<br />
<br />
== Production ==<br />
=== Development ===<br />
With an urge to play offbeat characters, [[N. T. Rama Rao]] converted his theatre troupe, National Art Theatre, into a film production company with his younger brother, [[N. Trivikrama Rao]], as the producer and made ''[[Pichi Pullayya]]'' (1953), in which Rama Rao played a "have-not". He followed it with another film dealing with an unconventional subject, ''[[Todu Dongalu (1954 film)|Todu Dongalu]]'' (1954). However, Rama Rao's intentions were not fruitful, forcing him to revert to the folklore genre with ''[[Jayasimha (1955 film)|Jayasimha]]'' (1955) for commercial success. Subsequently, he made many successful films in the same genre. But his desire to make films dealing with contemporary issues remained. He then wrote a story based on [[Dowry system in India|dowry as a menace]] and himself directed the film, titled ''Varakatnam'' produced under his home banner, [[Ramakrishna Cine Studios|Ramakrishna & NAT Combines]]. Maddipatla Suri and Samudrala Ramanujacharya were hired to write the dialogues. [[Ravikant Nagaich]] was hired as cinematographer, and G. D. Doshi as editor.<ref name="fridayreview" /><br />
<br />
=== Casting ===<br />
Rama Rao, in addition to directing and writing the story, played the male lead Devasimha, while [[Krishna Kumari (actress)|Krishna Kumari]] played the female lead Sujatha. The supporting cast of the main plot includes [[Nagabhushanam (actor)|Nagabhushanam]] as Devasimha's father "Meesaala" Venkaiah, [[Savitri (actress)|Savitri]] as Sujatha's sister-in-law Subhadra, [[Kaikala Satyanarayana]] as the short-tempered Balaramaiah and [[Mikkilineni (actor)|Mikkilineni]] as Balaramaiah's father Bhadraiah. The parallel plot features [[Suryakantham (actress)|Suryakantham]] as the "sharp-tongued" Chukkamma, [[Relangi (actor)|Relangi]] as her meek husband Devaiah, Padmanabham as their son Rangaiah and Chandrakala as the couple's daughter-in-law Lakshmi. Additionally, [[Rajanala Kaleswara Rao]] appears as Mallu Dora, a prospective bridegroom and [[Raavi Kondala Rao]] appears as Bhattumurthy, his assistant.<ref name="fridayreview" /><br />
<br />
=== Filming ===<br />
During Krishna Kumari's first day at shooting, a scene required her character Sujatha to cry before her mother's photo. Rama Rao narrated to her how Sujatha should act in the scene, before it and after. According to Krishna Kumari, Rama Rao "used to say that artistes should always be in the right mood while performing". He cancelled a day's shoot after finding Krishna Kumari out of mood. ''Varakatnam'' was the first instance that Rama Rao had gone to [[Tadepalligudem]] and [[Tanuku]] for [[location shooting]]. Several of his fans gathered up at the location to witness the shoot, and when the number increased, policemen had to interfere to control them. Amidst all this, Nagaich was tasked with shooting the film without showing anyone from the crowd of fans, and managed it successfully.<ref name="fridayreview" /><br />
<br />
== Soundtrack ==<br />
The soundtrack was composed by [[T. V. Raju]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://indiancine.ma/documents/CGU/info |title=Varakatnam |publisher=Ramakrishna & NAT Combines |year=1969 |language=te |type=[[song book]]}}</ref> Songs like "Yenduki Tondara", "Maradala Maradala Tammuni Pellama" and "Yevaru Chesina Karma" attained popularity.<ref name="fridayreview" /><br />
<br />
{{Track listing<br />
| collapsed = <br />
| headline = <br />
| extra_column = Singer(s)<br />
| title1 = Yenduki Tondara<br />
| lyrics1 = [[Kosaraju Raghavaiah]]<br />
| extra1 = [[P. Susheela]], Tilakam<br />
| length1 = <br />
| title2 = Idhena Mana Sampradayam Idhena<br />
| lyrics2 = [[C. Narayana Reddy]]<br />
| extra2 = [[Ghantasala (singer)|Ghantasala]]<br />
| note2 = male<br />
| length2 = <br />
| title3 = Illu Vakilirose Illalu (Tatvam)<br />
| lyrics3 = <br />
| extra3 = [[Madhavapeddi Satyam]]<br />
| length3 = <br />
| title4 = Mallepoola Panditlona Chandamama<br />
| lyrics4 = Kosaraju<br />
| extra4 = [[Pithapuram Nageswara Rao]], [[Jamuna Rani]]<br />
| length4 = <br />
| title5 = Adugu Adugulo Madha Maraalamulu<br />
| lyrics5 = <br />
| extra5 = P. Susheela, Ghantasala<br />
| length5 = <br />
| title6 = Gilakala Mancham Undi Chilakala Mandiri Indi<br />
| lyrics6 = Kosaraju<br />
| extra6 = Pithapuram Nageswara Rao, Jamuna Rani<br />
| length6 = <br />
| title7 = Puttaloni Naganna Lechi Ravayya Swamy<br />
| lyrics7 = Kosaraju<br />
| extra7 = P. Susheela, [[Jikki]]<br />
| length7 = <br />
| title8 = Sye Sye Jodedla Bandi<br />
| lyrics8 = Kosaraju<br />
| extra8 = Madhavapeddi Satyam, Ghantasala<br />
| length8 = <br />
| title9 = Yennallaku Na Nomu Pandindhi<br />
| lyrics9 = C. Narayana Reddy<br />
| extra9 = P. Susheela, Ghantasala<br />
| length9 = <br />
| title10 = Maradala Maradala Tammuni Pellama<br />
| lyrics10 = C. Narayana Reddy<br />
| extra10 = P. Susheela, Jikki<br />
| length10 = <br />
| title11 = Dharasimhasanamai<br />
| lyrics11 = <br />
| extra11 = Madhavapeddi Satyam<br />
| length11 = <br />
| title12 = Khagapathi Amrutamuthega<br />
| lyrics12 = <br />
| extra12 = Madhavapeddi Satyam<br />
| length12 = <br />
| title13 = Yevaru Chesina Karma<br />
| lyrics13 = Kosaraju<br />
| extra13 = Madhavapeddi Satyam<br />
| length13 = <br />
| title14 = Idhena Mana Sampradayam Idhena<br />
| lyrics14 = C. Narayana Reddy<br />
| extra14 = P. Susheela<br />
| note14 = female<br />
| length14 = <br />
| title15 = Kattukunna Aali Gayyali Ainacho (Tatvam)<br />
| lyrics15 = <br />
| extra15 = Madhavapeddi Satyam<br />
| length15 = <br />
}}<br />
<br />
== Release and reception ==<br />
''Varakatnam'' was released on 10 January 1969.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://indiancine.ma/NEH/info |title=Varakatnam |website=Indiancine.ma |access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref> The film won the [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu]] at the [[16th National Film Awards]], which felicitated films released in 1968.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/16th_nff_1970.pdf |title=Sixteenth National Awards for Films |publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225234623/http://dff.nic.in/2011/16th_nff_1970.pdf |archive-date=25 February 2012 |access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist|refs=<br />
<ref name="fridayreview">{{Cite news |last=Narasimham |first=M. L. |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/varakatnam-1968/article26464030.ece |title=Varakatnam (1968) |date=8 March 2019 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=8 March 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190308113959/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/varakatnam-1968/article26464030.ece |archive-date=8 March 2019}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
* {{IMDb title|0259712}}<br />
{{National Film Award Best Feature Film Telugu}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:1960s Telugu-language films]]<br />
[[Category:1969 films]]<br />
[[Category:Best Telugu Feature Film National Film Award winners]]<br />
[[Category:Films about social issues in India]]<br />
[[Category:Films directed by N. T. Rama Rao]]<br />
[[Category:Films scored by T. V. Raju]]<br />
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]<br />
[[Category:Indian drama films]]<br />
[[Category:Indian films]]</div>imported>Pranayraj1985