''Babai Abbai'' () is a 1985 Indian

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

-language

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

Jandhyala Jandhyala Subrahmanya Sastry (14 January 1951 – 19 June 2001), known mononymously as Jandhyala, was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and playwright known for his work in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre, theatre. Popularly referred to a ...

. The film stars

Nandamuri Balakrishna Nandamuri Balakrishna (born 10 June 1960), also known as Balayya or NBK, is an Indian actor, film producer, politician and philanthropist known for his works in Telugu cinema. Balakrishna is an elected member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative A ...

and Anitha Reddy, with

Suthi Veerabhadra Rao Mamidipalli Veerabhadra Rao (1947–1988), commonly known as Sutti Veerabhadra Rao, was an Indian actor known for his comic and character roles in Telugu cinema. He was also a radio and theatre artist. Early life Veerabhadra Rao was the only s ...

and

Suthi Velu Kurumaddali Lakshmi Narasimha Rao (7 August 1947 – 16 September 2012), better known by his stage name Suthi Velu, was an Indian actor and comedian known for his works in Telugu cinema. He has acted in more than 200 films, and won four state ...

in key roles. The film features music composed by Chakravarthy. The film's plot is inspired by the 1954 Telugu film ''

Vaddante Dabbu ''Vaddante Dabbu'' () is a 1954 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language screwball comedy film directed by Y. R. Swamy. It was produced by Moola Narayana Swamy and presented by H. M. Reddy on Rohini Pictures banner. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao ...

'', which was based on the 1902 novel ''

Brewster's Millions ''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from ...

'' by

George Barr McCutcheon George Barr McCutcheon (July 26, 1866 – October 23, 1928) was an American novelist and playwright. His best known works include a series of novels set in Graustark, a fictional East European country, and the novel ''Brewster's Millions'', w ...

. ''Babai Abbai'' marks the debut of Anitha Reddy as a heroine and introduces

Vizag Prasad Korlam Parvathi Varaprasada Rao, better known by his stage name Vizag Prasad, was an Indian actor known for his work in Telugu cinema and theatre, particularly in negative and character roles. He made his film debut with '' Babai Abbai'' (1985), ...

in a supporting role. The film was released on 8 February 1985.

Plot

The film follows two con artists, Balasubramanyam "Bala" and Veera, who, despite their chaotic lives, share a close bond and refer to each other as Babai (uncle) and Abbai (son). Their livelihood consists of taking debt and absconding from creditors. Bala meets and falls in love with Krishnaveni, the daughter of a wealthy businessman, Vara Prasad Rao. To test Bala's character, Vara Prasad Rao gives him ₹25

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

, with the condition that he spends the entire amount within 30 days without donating or destroying it, and also refrains from meeting Krishnaveni during this period. Bala embarks on this challenge under Veera's guidance, trying different methods to spend the money, including gambling, racing, making a film, and building a house. However, his efforts only increase his wealth, which eventually frustrates him. In the end, Bala discards the money into the sea, just as Vara Prasad Rao arrives to evaluate his progress. Vara Prasad Rao reveals that the task was not about spending money but about studying Bala's character and showing him the futility of wealth gained through deceit. The film concludes with Bala and Krishnaveni's marriage, bringing the story to a happy resolution.

Cast

Source:

Production

Development

''Babai Abbai'' was inspired by the 1954 Telugu film ''

'', which in turn was based on the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

novel ''

'' (1902) by

. The climax of the film drew comparisons to the 1963 American film ''

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American Technicolor epic comedy film in Ultra Panavision 70 produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, from a screenplay by William and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all ...

''.

Casting

''Babai Abbai'' marked the debut of Anitha Reddy as a heroine. Although she had signed ''Srivari Sobhanam'' (1985) earlier, also directed by Jandhyala, ''Babai Abbai'' was released first. Anitha began her career as a singer in

K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas ( /jeːʃud̪aːs/; born 10 January 1940) is an Indian playback singer and musician who sings Indian classical, devotional and film songs. He is widely considered one of the greatest singers in the history of Indian m ...

's troupe and ventured into films at a very young age as a singer. She had previously sung in ''

Kirayi Rowdylu ''Kirayi Rowdylu'' is a 1981 Telugu-language film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy. It features Chiranjeevi, Mohan Babu, and Radhika. The film was a box office success, and it was remade in Hindi as ''Hoshiyar''. This film ran more than 100 da ...

'' (1981) and also provided vocals for the song "O Priya" in ''Babai Abbai''.

was originally cast to play the role of Babai (uncle). However, due to prior commitments, the role was subsequently played by

, while Velu portrayed the heroine's father. ''Babai Abbai'' also marked the debut of

, credited as "Prasada Rao (Vizag)." He played the role of Inspector Syam Sundar and was required to ride a

Bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. They are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax; and are made in various shapes and constru ...

bike as part of his character. After the first day of shooting, Prasad was involved in an accident while riding the bike, in which another person was injured. The film unit covered the medical expenses, and actor Balakrishna intervened with the police to resolve the matter. Prasad later adopted the stage name "Vizag Prasad" during the filming of ''Mogudu Pellalu'' (1985), with encouragement from Jandhyala.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

for ''Babai Abbai'' commenced on 7 September 1984, in

Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...

. Most of the film was shot in and around Visakhapatnam, with a few scenes filmed in

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

, including beach sequences and a theatre scene. Most of the cast stayed at the Ocean View Hotel in Visakhapatnam during the production, where a notable scene, featuring Sutti Velu's assistant beating him, was filmed. The production faced several challenges, including 22 accidents during filming. Balakrishna was involved in two accidents, and Anitha Reddy also encountered two mishaps. In one incident, Anitha, who lacked driving experience, accidentally hit Balakrishna with her vehicle during a scene, resulting in his hospitalisation. Another accident occurred when she collided with a vegetable cart during filming. Both incidents were incorporated into the film. Balakrishna also experienced a fall from a horse while filming the climax but escaped with minor injuries.

Music

The music for ''Babai Abbai'' was composed by Chakravarthy, with lyrics written by

Veturi Veturi Sundararama Murthy (29 January 1936 – 22 May 2010), known mononymously by his surname Veturi, was an Indian poet and lyricist who is known for his works in Telugu literature and cinema. Veturi is a recipient of the National Film Award, ...

. The song "Sommu Penchaku" featured Madhavapeddi Ramesh, who imitated his uncle

Madhavapeddi Satyam Madhavapeddi Satyam (11 March 1922 – 18 December 2000) was an Indian playback singer and actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. He entered films as a singer-actor in Y. V. Rao's Tamil-Hindi bilingual movie ''Ramadas'' in the year 19 ...

’s style, earning praise from Satyam himself after hearing the track. Source:

Release

''Babai Abbai'' was granted its censor certification on 5 February 1985, and was released on 8 February 1985. It was not commercially successful.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Babai - Abbai 1985 films Films directed by Jandhyala Films scored by K. Chakravarthy Films based on Brewster's Millions Films based on American novels 1980s Telugu-language films 1980s Indian films Films shot in Visakhapatnam Films shot in Chennai 1985 comedy films