Sudigundalu

''Sudigundalu'' () is a 1968 Indian Telugu-language philosophical film, produced by Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Adurthi Subba Rao under the Chakravarthy Chitra banner and directed by Adurthi Subba Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and has music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. It was released on 28 June 1968. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, The Nandi Award for Best Feature Film, and the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu. It marked the debut of Nageswara Rao's son Nagarjuna as child artist in a cameo. The cult classic film was screened at the Tashkent Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of India.

Plot

Justice Chandra Shekaram is a noble & generous judge who shelters the families afflicted by his judgment. They mold into a conjugal family and rear Chandra Shekaram's motherless infant, Raja, under a shower of affection. Years later, Raja is a lovely, intelligent boy whom everyone adores. On his birthday, Raja attends the school but shockingly does not return, which panics everyone who makes the severe quest. The following day, as a flabbergasted, the police find his dead body. The incident generates mayhem in the society. After a profound inquiry, the police unearth two youngster minors, Vikram Kumar & Sandhya Rani, the progeny of influential figures in high society, as homicides who killed Raja.

Vikram is the son of Panakala Rao, a politician who campaigns for the welfare of the poor, while Sandhya is the daughter of a millionaire Koteswara Rao. Vikram and Sandhya are in a relationship. Vikram has a stepmother Pankajam who is around the same age as him, and they do not get along.

In court, when the judgment is about to be given for the case, Chandra Sekharam appears and volunteers to argue in defense of the culprits, which shocks everyone. By doing so, he unearths the true motive and declares that they have done these acts in sheer madness. Vikram and Sandhya once attended a school play in which Raja and Sandhya's younger brother participated and her brother was jealous of Raja who earned the prize. Vikram, in an effort to appease Sandhya and her brother, said that he will kill Raja. Vikram stole crime novels that Pankajam reads, read them himself, and then planned to commit the murder the same way by taking Raja to a swimming pool and drowning him. Vikram reveals in court that he killed Raja for fun and felt the tendency to kill others due to mixed feelings and mental instability, including Pankajam.

After cross-examining Panakala Rao, Koteswara Rao, and their respective wives, Chandra Sekharam brings out the fact that the youngsters have grown up to become irresponsible and choose the wrong path due to their upbringing. Vikram's parents never cared enough to teach their son about morality while Sandhya's parents take advantage of their wealth power and allow her to get used to vices though she is still a minor.

At last, Chandra Shekaram affirms that parents should play a key role in raising their heirs as eligible citizens with morality; his words reform culpable & ashamed parents after soul-searching, and the jury changes its edict. After fighting the case in vain, the movie ends tragically, with Chandra Shekaram breathing his last in the court hall.

Cast

Background

Adurthi Subba Rao, who has directed many commercially successful films, made this film with the intention of making artistic and informative films. He also shared the production duties of the film with actor Nageswara Rao.

The 1959 American movie Compulsion (1959 film) is the inspiration for the script of the movie. American convicted criminals, Leopold and Loeb and their trial form the plot of the film Compulsion.

Soundtrack

Music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The music released on Audio Company.

Awards

;National Film Awards
* National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu

;Nandi Awards(in Telugu)
* Nandi Award for Best Feature Film - Gold - Adurthi Subba Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao

;Filmfare Awards South
* Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu

References

{{Filmfare Best Telugu Film

1960s crime thriller films
1968 drama films
1968 films
Best Telugu Feature Film National Film Award winners
Films about adultery in India
Films about corruption in India
Films about social issues in India
Films directed by Adurthi Subba Rao
Films scored by K. V. Mahadevan
Indian black-and-white films
Indian courtroom films
Indian crime thriller films
Indian drama films
Indian legal films
1960s Telugu-language films
1960s Indian films