''Mala Pilla'', or ''Malapilla'', (''English: ''Girl from
Mala caste) is a 1938 Indian Telugu-language
social problem
A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
film directed by
Gudavalli Ramabrahmam
Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing critically acclaimed social problem films like '' Mala Pilla'' (1938) and '' Raithu Bidda'' (1939). At a time ...
and written by
Tapi Dharma Rao
Thapi Dharma Rao Naidu (1887–1973) was a Telugu writer, journalist, rationalist, and social reformer. He is considered as a pioneer of colloquial language in Telugu journalism and a doyen of Telugu prose writers. He was awarded the Sahitya Aka ...
.
[S. V. Rama Rao (2006) ''Naati 101 Chitralu''. Kinnera Publications, Hyderabad. p. 14.] The film was produced by Raja of
Challapalli
Challapalli (officially known as Challapalle) is a town in the Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Challapalli mandal, Machilipatnam revenue division. Tollywood actor Nani is native of this village.
Ge ...
,
Yarladadda Sivarama Prasad, under the
Sarathi Films banner.
It featured
Kanchanamala in the
title role
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
, with Gali Venkateswara Rao,
Govindarajula Subba Rao
Dr. Govindarajula Venkata Subba Rao (1895 – 29 October 1959) was a famous Telugu drama and film actor.Nata Ratnalu, Dr. Mikkilineni Radhakrishna Murthy, Second edition, Seetharatnam Grandhamala, Vijayawada, 2002, pp:56-59
Life sketch
He play ...
,
P. Suribabu, and Sundaramma in other prominent roles.
It is a social drama depicting the love story between a
Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
boy and a
Dalit
Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...
girl.
[Nostalgia Mala Pilla (1938) at Cinegoer.com](_blank)
The film dealt with themes like
untouchability
Untouchability is a form of social institution that legitimises and enforces practices that are discriminatory, humiliating, exclusionary and exploitative against people belonging to certain social groups. Although comparable forms of discrimin ...
, taboos on entry into temples for
Dalit
Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...
s,
Gandhism
Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision, and the life work of Mohandas K. Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance.
The ...
, and
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
in pre-independent India.
The film was dedicated to the
Maharajah of Travancore
The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Travancore, Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was acced ...
,
Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal (7 November 1912 – 20 July 1991), was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and ...
, who had passed a
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
allowing members of all castes to enter temples.
''Malapilla'' was released in a record 12 centres on September 25, 1938, and was an industry hit.
On its release, the film caused a sensation, rejecting the
stage
Stage, stages, or staging may refer to:
Arts and media Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
-derived
mythological
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
genre dominating
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...
in the 1930s.
The film's success kindled interest in other Telugu
filmmakers
Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screenwritin ...
to make films based on social themes.
''Malapilla'' was also the 50th
talkie
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...
film made in Telugu cinema.
Plot
Inspired by
Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
, Radhabayamma (Hemalatha Devi) launches the Harijan movement in Kalyanapuram village, much to the chagrin of the orthodox
Brahmin
Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
community and the upper castes. When Dalits try to enter the temple, the trustee, Sundara Ramasastry (Govindarajula Subbarao), stops them. His son, Nagaraju (Gali Venkateswara Rao), a photographer, falls in love with Sampalatha. Chowdharayya (P. Suribabu), a
Gandhian
The followers of Mahatma Gandhi,one of the prominent figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians.
Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environ ...
, makes a futile attempt to bring a compromise between the upper castes and the Dalits. Nagaraju and Sampalatha elope to
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
, where he finds a job. Anasuya (Sundaramma) Sampalatha's sister accompanies them. Nagaraju educates Sampalatha. In the village, Chowdharayya leads a non-violent movement by Dalits against the upper castes. Dalits save Sundara Ramasastry's wife from a fire accident, and Sastry is a changed man, now agreeing to allow harijans into the temple. With his father's blessings, Nagaraju marries Sampalatha.
Cast
Source:
*
Kanchanamala as Sampalatha
* Gali Venkateswara Rao as Nagaraju
*
Govindarajula Subba Rao
Dr. Govindarajula Venkata Subba Rao (1895 – 29 October 1959) was a famous Telugu drama and film actor.Nata Ratnalu, Dr. Mikkilineni Radhakrishna Murthy, Second edition, Seetharatnam Grandhamala, Vijayawada, 2002, pp:56-59
Life sketch
He play ...
as Sundara Ramasastry
*
P. Suribabu as Chowdharayya
* V. V. Subbaiah
* Raghavan
* Sundaramma as Anasuya
* Hemalatha Devi as Radhabayamma
* Gangarathnam
* Katuri Jaganmohan
*
Vangara
Production
Development
The village girl Sampalatha's character in ''Malapilla'' based on
Gudipaati Venkata Chalam's unpublished novelette.
Tapi Dharma Rao
Thapi Dharma Rao Naidu (1887–1973) was a Telugu writer, journalist, rationalist, and social reformer. He is considered as a pioneer of colloquial language in Telugu journalism and a doyen of Telugu prose writers. He was awarded the Sahitya Aka ...
wrote the screenplay for ''Malapilla'', while most of Chalam's dialogues were retained.
Casting
During his stint as a production director with Vel Pictures, Ramabrahmam felt that Kancanamala was not fit for acting and rejected her. As she rose in career, he realised he was wrong and signed her for the village girl Sampalatha's character. Sceptics commented that she was a misfit for such a complex character as she was famous for glamorous roles until then. But her performance as an illiterate downtrodden village belle in the first half and as the literate modern city woman in the later portions was commended
Dr. Govindarajula Subbarao, a veteran stage actor and a popular LMP doctor from
Tenali
Tenali is a city in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality, and the headquarters of Tenali mandal and Tenali revenue division. The city is renowned for art, culture, drama, and hence, it is called "Andhra ...
was cast for the role of the antagonist Sundara Ramasastry. At first he refused to take up the assignment as he was asked to shave his head and moustache. After his mother gave him permission to do so, he relented.
Filming
The film was shot in 40 days at K. Subrahmanyam's Motion Picture Producers Studio in
Mount Road
Anna Salai (), named for C. N. Annadurai, formerly known as St. Thomas Mount Road or simply Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George, leading in a south-westerly direction towa ...
, Madras that was later acquired in an auction by
S. S. Vasan
Subramaniam Srinivasan (4 January 1904 – 26 August 1969), popularly known by his screen name S. S. Vasan, was an Indian journalist, writer, advertiser, film producer, director and business tycoon. He is the founder of the Tamil-language maga ...
who renamed it
Gemini Studios
Gemini Studios was an Indian film studio based in Madras, Tamil Nadu. It was launched when S. S. Vasan, a businessman of many ventures (including the ownership of Ananda Vikatan) bought Motion Picture Producers' Combines from Krishnaswamy Su ...
.
The film was dedicated to the
Maharajah of Travancore
The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Travancore, Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was acced ...
,
Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
Sree Padmanabhadasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma , popularly known as Sree Chithira Thirunal (7 November 1912 – 20 July 1991), was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in southern India until 1949 and ...
who had passed a
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
allowing members of all castes to enter temples.
Music
Bhimavarapu Narasimha Rao (BNR) composed the music for the film.
The soundtrack had 17 songs and 5 poems mostly based on
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
. Ramabrahmam took three of Basavaraju Apparao's by then popular lyrics – ''Kollayi gattithe nemi'', ''Nallavaade Gollapillavaade'', and ''Aa mabbu...ee mabbu''. The songs were highly popular.
* ''Aa Mabbu Ee Mabbu''
* ''Jai Mahadev''
* ''Jatara Setamu Ra''
* ''Vaduku Vaduku''
* ''Kuleelandaru Ekamu Kavale Ra''
* ''Venu Manohara Ganamu''
* ''Savirahe Tavadeena''
* ''Nallavade Gollapillavade''
Release
The film was released in a record 12 centres on 25 September 1938. Some people tried to stop the screening; in retaliation Ramabrahmam gave free passes to Brahmins who wanted to watch it. Some people who watched the film went home and bathed to get rid of the sin of watching such a film.
Reception and legacy
The film was a big hit.
On its release, it caused a sensation, rejecting the stage-derived
mythological
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
genre dominating Telugu cinema in the 1930s.
The film's success kindled interest in other Telugu
filmmakers
Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screenwritin ...
to make films based on social themes.
''Malapilla'' discarded the litearary Telugu used in films until then and traded it for colloquial Telugu in its dialogue. Kanchanamala's still from the film's promotional calendar became popular and found its way into many calendars in Telugu homes.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, tt0259415, Malapilla
1930s Telugu-language films
1938 films
Indian black-and-white films
Indian drama films
1938 drama films
Films scored by Master Venu
Films about the caste system in India
Films about interclass romance
Films set in Kolkata
Indian romantic drama films