''Kula Gotralu'' () is a 1962 Indian Telugu-language

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

written and directed by K. Pratyagatma. It stars

Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1924 – 22 January 2014), known as ANR, was an Indian actor and film producer in Telugu cinema. Over his seven decade career, he became a prominent figures in the industry, and is among most influential ac ...

, Krishna Kumari and music composed by S. Rajeswara Rao.

Acharya Aatreya Acharya Aatreya (born Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu ; 7 May 1921 – 13 September 1989) was an Indian poet, lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He received the state Nandi Award fo ...

wrote the dialogues for the film. It was produced by A. V. Subba Rao under the Prasad Art Pictures banner. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu certificate of merit in 1963. Noted actor

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

played a sidekick role in the film before becoming an established actor.

Plot

The film begins in a village where Zamindar Bhushayya, a respected figure, upholds traditional values of caste and clan. He lives with his wife, Santhamma, two daughters, Jagadamba and Leela, and a son, Ravi. Jagadamba, being the daughter of Bhushayya's first wife, harbours resentment towards her stepmother’s children. Her husband, Sadanandam, an opportunistic loafer, also resides with them. Ravi moves to the city for higher studies, where he falls in love with Saroja, a medical student. Saroja’s mother, Kanthamma, was ostracized by society after being betrayed by an impostor named Chalapati. Despite Bhushayya's disapproval, Ravi marries Saroja, leading to his estrangement from the family. Ravi becomes a police officer and is later posted to his hometown, where he stays as a neighbour of their family friend, Ramanayya. Bhushayya arranges an affluent marriage alliance for Leela, but it is called off upon learning about Ravi's marriage. To salvage the situation, Bhushayya hastily arranges Leela's marriage to Ramanayya's nephew, Joga Rao. Meanwhile, Jagadamba and Sadanandam manipulate the situation to widen the rift between Ravi and Bhushayya. Santhamma, gravely ill, wishes to reconcile with Ravi. However, Sadanandam deceives Bhushayya by falsely claiming Ravi has refused, leading to her death. Bhushayya forbids Ravi from attending the funeral, further deepening the family divide. Saroja later gives birth to a son, softening Bhushayya’s stance, and he secretly visits to bless the child. Jagadamba and Sadanandam conspire with Chalapati, now a criminal, to further their schemes. Chalapati double-crosses Sadanandam and plans a robbery. Ravi intervenes with Saroja’s help. During the confrontation, Saroja defends her in-laws, even striking her father to protect them. This act earns her Bhushayya’s respect, and he acknowledges her virtues. Jagadamba and Sadanandam also repent for their actions. The film concludes with the family reuniting and finding happiness.

Cast

as Ravi * Krishna Kumari as Saroja * Gummadi as Bhushayya * Relangi as Sadanandam *

Ramana Reddy Ramana Reddy (1 October 1921 – 11 November 1974) was an Indian character actor, comedian and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. In a career spanning 24 years, he acted in more than 200 movies. Ramana Reddy and Relang ...

as Ramanayya * Padmanabham as J. J. Rao / Jasthi Joga Rao *

Allu Ramalingaiah Allu Ramalingaiah (1 October 1922 – 31 July 2004) was an Indian character actor, comedian, and producer known for his works in Telugu cinema. In 1990, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to Indian cinema. In 1998, he rec ...

as Peeramma * Raja Babu as Ravi's friend * Mikkilineni as Chalapati *

as Bridegroom in marriage * Suryakantam as Jagadamba * G. Varalakshmi as Kanthamma * Girija as Leela * Sandhya as Anasuya *

Nirmalamma Nirmalamma (18 July 1920 – 19 February 2009) was an Indian actress in the Telugu cinema. She appeared in more than 1000 films and was well known for her grandmother roles in several films. She won two Nandi Awards. Early life She was born in ...

as Santhamma

Production

It was the first film to be shot 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 ...

Music

Music was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao.

Awards

;

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

: Certificate of Merit for the Second Best Feature Film in Telugu

References

External links

* {{National Film Award Best Feature Film Telugu 1962 films 1960s Telugu-language films 1960s Indian films Films scored by S. Rajeswara Rao Best Telugu Feature Film National Film Award winners Films directed by Kotayya Pratyagatma