''Subhakankshalu ''is a 1997 () Indian
Telugu-language
comedy-drama
Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
film directed by
Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao
Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao is an Indian film director, producer, actor and writer from Andhra Pradesh. He is also known as a remake specialist and director of various parody films. He had several hit films to his credit including ''Subhamastu'', ' ...
. Produced by N. V. Prasad and S. Naga Ashok Kumar, the film stars
Jagapathi Babu
Veeramachaneni Jagapathi Chowdary (born 12 February 1962), professionally known as Jagapathi Babu (), is an Indian actor known for his works in Telugu cinema. He has also appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Kannada cinema, Kannada, Malayalam cine ...
,
Ravali
Ravali is an Indian actress who has appeared in Telugu language, Telugu, Tamil cinema, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi language films. She is probably best known for her performances in ''Subhakankshalu'', ''Pelli Sandadi'', ''Vinodam'' an ...
, and
Raasi, who made her debut in a lead role in
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 ...
. The music for the film was jointly composed by
Koti and
S. A. Rajkumar.
The film is a remake of the 1996 Tamil film
''Poove Unakkaga''.
Plot
The film begins in a village marked by intense rivalry between two neighbouring families: one Hindu and the other Christian. Seetaramayya and Stephen, the respective patriarchs, are at odds, a conflict that extends to their wives and sons, Balaramayya and Moses. The two families were once very close and shared a cordial relationship 25 years ago. Seetaramayya’s daughter, Janaki, and Stephen’s younger son, Robert, fell in love despite their families' opposition. The couple elopes, gets married, and the feud between the families starts.
In the present day, Chandu, the son of Janaki and Robert, arrives with his friend Gopi but is rejected by both families due to the longstanding enmity. With nowhere else to go, they find shelter with Nadabrahmam, a noisy and eccentric singer. Chandu’s goal is to reconcile with his family, and gradually endears himself to them. His grandmothers arrange two potential marriages for him, which he tries to avoid. On Gopi’s advice, Chandu fabricates a story, claiming to have already married a woman named Nirmala Mary, who is a Hindu-Christian like him. To his surprise, a woman claiming to be Nirmala Mary appears, mocking him and revealing that she is actually Priyadarsini, the real daughter of Janaki and Robert.
In the flashback, Chandu and Gopi, orphans and unemployed, live as tenants in a penthouse nearby a ladies' hostel where Nandini, the daughter of Balaramayya, resides. Nandini and the other girls are preparing for a music competition but struggle with composing a tune. Chandu helps them indirectly, and they win the competition. He and Nandini become good friends, and Chandu develops feelings for her. While Chandu was on the verge of expressing his love to Nandini, she introduces Lawrence, Moses’s son, as her fiancé, leaving Chandu heartbroken. When Lawrence and Nandini ask Chandu to bless their marriage without their families’ knowledge, Chandu agrees, and he decides to unite the families for the sake of their love.
Nirmala/Priyadarsini secretly harbours feelings for Chandu and supports his efforts. After some comedic situations, Chandu successfully brings the old people in the families together. Meanwhile, Balaramayya and Moses discover their children’s relationship and react angrily. During a confrontation, Chandu steps in to defend them, even though he is injured. Lawrence and Nandini, defying their religious backgrounds, express their desire to marry, and Seetaramayya and Stephen come to understand the importance of love over religion. In the end, the families come together, and Chandu’s true identity is revealed with the arrival of Robert and Janaki.
Finally, Chandu is offered the chance to marry Nirmala/Priyadarsini, but he declines, stating that he has already loved someone else and will cherish those memories for the rest of his life. The film concludes with Chandu walking away, accompanied by the statement: "A person who is facilitating his lover's marriage to her partner."
Cast
*
Jagapati Babu as Chandu
*
Ravali
Ravali is an Indian actress who has appeared in Telugu language, Telugu, Tamil cinema, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi language films. She is probably best known for her performances in ''Subhakankshalu'', ''Pelli Sandadi'', ''Vinodam'' an ...
as Nirmala Mary / Priyadarsini
*
Raasi as Nandini
*
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 ...
in a special appearance
*
Satyanarayana as Seetaramayya
*
Nagesh
Nageshwaran Rao (born Cheyur Krishnarao Nageshwaran; (27 September 1933 – 31 January 2009) was an Indian actor and comedian mostly remembered for his comic roles in Tamil films during the 1960s. Nagesh was born in Dharapuram. He acted in ov ...
as Stephen
*
Anandaraj
Anandaraj (born 10 November 1958) is an Indian actor, He has acted in villain roles in several Tamil films and has appeared in over a three hundred films in different languages including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
Career
Anandar ...
as Moses
*
Devan as Balaramayya
*
Brahmanandam
Kanneganti Brahmanandam (born 1 February 1956) is an Indian actor and comedian known for his work in Telugu cinema. Recognised as one of India's finest and highest-paid comic actors, he holds the Guinness World Record for the most screen cred ...
as Writer Tukaram
*
Sudhakar as Gopi
*
AVS as Nadabrahmam
*
Mallikarjuna Rao as Buchi
*
Maharshi Raghava
Raghava Gogineni, better known as Maharshi Raghava, is an Indian actor who works in Telugu films and television. Raghava acted in more than 170 films in various roles. He shot to fame as a lead actor with his first film '' Maharshi'' (1987), w ...
as Robert
* Rakesh as Lawerence
*
Sowkar Janaki
Sankaramanchi Janaki (born 12 December 1931), widely known as Sowcar Janaki, is an Indian actress known for her works in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. In a career spanning over seven decades, Janaki has appeared in nearly 390 fil ...
as Seetaramayya's wife
*
Sukumari
Sukumari Amma (6 October 1940 – 26 March 2013) was an Indian actress best known for her works in Malayalam and Tamil films. In a career spanning more than five decades, She has appeared in more than 2500 films predominantly in Malayalam, T ...
as Rosy (Stephen's wife)
*
Sudha
Sudha (Sanskrit : सुधा) is a Hindu/ Sanskrit Indian feminine given name meaning living water and also, in other variations, nectar.
Notable people named Sudha
* Sudha (actress), Telugu actress
* Sudha Bhattacharya (born 1952), Indian ac ...
as Gayatri
*
Rajitha
Mallela Rajitha is an Indian actress who works in Telugu films. She has been active since the late 1980s.
Career
Rajitha made her debut in film industry at the age of 18 with the Telugu movie, '' Brahma Rudrulu'' in which she portrayed Ak ...
as Janaki
*
Y. Vijaya as Nadabrahmam's wife
*
Alphonsa (special appearance)
*
Ranjitha in a special appearance
Soundtrack
The music for the film was composed by
Koti and
S. A. Rajkumar. The audio soundtrack was released by Shivani Audio Company. Three songs from the original Tamil film ''Poove Unakkaga'' were retained in the Telugu version, titled "Anandamananda," "O Pori Pani Puri," and "Panchavennela", which was based on "Anantham Anantham", "Oh Pyari" and "Machinichi", respectively.
In the movie credits, only Koti is credited as the composer. Additionally, in many audio soundtrack releases and film DVDs, only Koti is listed,
while in a few, only S. A. Rajkumar is credited. There are also versions that credit both composers.
[ Credits in video description.]
Source:
Reception
A critic from ''Andhra Today'' wrote, "The director richly deserves `Subhkankshalu' (congratulations) for giving a good treatment to a neat story. The conclusion is different (away from the run-of-the mill)".
References
External links
*
{{Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao
Telugu remakes of Tamil films
Indian romantic comedy films
1997 romantic comedy films
Films about families
Films scored by S. A. Rajkumar
Films about feuds
1990s Telugu-language films
Films scored by Koti (composer)
Films directed by Bhimaneni Srinivasa Rao
1997 films