Chandralekha (1998 film)

Last updated

Chandralekha
Chandralekha.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Krishna Vamsi
Written byY. Venkatram
Chithajallu Lakshmipathi Rao (dialogues)
Screenplay byKrishna Vamsi
Story by Priyadarshan
Fazil
Based on Chandralekha (1997) by Priyadarshan
Produced by Nagarjuna Akkineni
V. Ram Prasad
Starring Nagarjuna Akkineni
Ramya Krishna
Isha Koppikar
Cinematography Ajayan Vincent
Edited byShankar
Music by Sandeep Chowtha
Production
company
Great India Entertainments
Release date
  • 30 July 1998 (1998-07-30)
Running time
151 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu

Chandralekha is a 1998 Indian Telugu-language comedy drama film directed by Krishna Vamsi. It stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Ramya Krishna and debutant Isha Koppikar, with music composed by Sandeep Chowta. The film was produced by Nagarjuna and V. Ram Prasad under Great India Enterprises banner.

Contents

It is a remake of the 1997 Malayalam film Chandralekha , directed by Priyadarshan. [1] It is the second combination of Nagarjuna, Krishna Vamsi, and Sandeep Chowtha after Ninne Pelladata (1996). Hindi actor Sanjay Dutt made a special appearance for the first time in a Telugu film. The film was declared as a hit. [2]

Plot

Sitarama Rao alias Seeta is a struggling unemployed youth who arrives in Hyderabad to meet his sister (Jhansi) and brother-in-law, his father has been falsely implicated in a bank fraud and wants to sell his ancestral property to pay towards the litigation, for that he needs his sister's approval, but is rebuked and banished by his brother-in-law. Disillusioned, Seeta seeks out his old school mate Tirupathi, who is working in a fruit juice vending shop in Hyderabad. Tirupathi himself is a hapless uneducated youth working for his uncle, who is a treacherous money lender, with a hope to marry his daughter Bangari. They plan to open a cool drink shop, but need 1.25 lakh Rupees to rent a shop as a prerequisite to getting a bank loan. With no other way in sight, the two of them swindle Tirupathi's uncle out of 1.25 lakh Rupees. Seeta then tries to get the loan sanctioned, but he is rebuffed by a new bank manager, who had taken charge by then.

In a new development, Seeta happens to rescue a woman called Chandrika Varma or 'Chandra' after a car accident, hospitalizing her. Chandra is the daughter of a wealthy businessman Varma. Seetarama Rao is mistaken by the hospital staff to be her husband Raj Kapoor. Soon her relatives including her father arrive and they too mistake him as Raj Kapoor because no one had ever seen or talked to him. Also, it happened that Chandra was a major client of Seetarama Rao's bank manager, who too mistook him for Chandra's husband, and was now eager to please him. Seetarama Rao, who is good at heart, initially intended to reveal the truth to everyone but later decides to masquerade as Raj Kapoor till he receives loan approval from the Bank Manager. Chandra lay bedridden, paralyzed, unable to react but was able to witness all the commotion around her.

Some of the relatives of Chandra were never convinced about Seetarama Rao from the outset. To make matters worse for Seeta, enters Lekha, a close friend of Chandra and who is a medical graduate. She had talked to Raj Kapoor on the phone previously and became immediately suspicious about Seeta. The relatives join with Lekha to find out the truth. Lekha and others play cat and mouse with Seeta trying to uncover his veracity, with Seeta staying ahead of the game for a while. Finally, Lekha fortuitously discovers the truth about Seetarama Rao, but she is moved by his life struggles. In the meantime, Chandra revives from her paralysis, but she too forgives Seetarama Rao for everything; also, she had developed a liking for him. But one of the jealous relatives of Chandra manages to expose Seeta before everyone. Then Chandra admits all the truth to everyone. She was not in fact in a car accident, but it was a suicide attempt after her fiancé, the real Raj Kapoor, had betrayed her, and their marriage had never commenced. But she was now in love with Seetarama Rao and hoped to marry him. Chandra recovers fully under the loving care of Seeta and Lekha. But later Chandra discovers that Lekha was already in love with Seetarama Rao and had in fact given way for her as a favor to Chandra's father, to whom Lekha was like a second daughter. Chandra gracefully withdraws from her planned marriage with Seetarama Rao. Finally, Seeta and Lekha are united together with everyone's hearty blessings.

Cast

Soundtrack

Chandralekha
Soundtrack album by
Sandeep Chowta
Released1998
Genre Soundtrack
Length27:42
Label Aditya Music

The music was composed by Sandeep Chowta. Lyrics were written by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry. Music was released on Aditya Music.

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Sahasame Cheyara" S. P. Balasubrahmanyam 4:31
2."Divvi Divvi Divvitam" Sowmya Raoh, Sujatha 4:25
3."Okkasari Okkasari" Srinivasa Chakravarthi 4:38
4."Tajmahaluni" Rajesh Krishnan, Sowmya Raoh 4:50
5."Mogali Podalu"Rajesh Krishnan, Sujatha4:32
6."Urumulu Nee Muvvalayi"Rajesh Krishnan, Sujatha4:32
Total length:27:42

Production

Krishna Vamsi was skeptical about directing a remake, but was convinced later, after watching the Malayalam version. [1]

Reception

The film received positive review from Zamin Ryot for Nagarjuna's acting and Krishna Vamsi's screenplay and direction. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry</span> Indian lyricist (1955–2021)

Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry was an Indian poet and lyricist known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He acquired the stage name Sirivennela after writing the lyrics for the 1986 film of same name. Sastry has garnered several awards including eleven state Nandi Awards and five Filmfare Awards South for his work. He has penned lyrics for over 3000 songs until 2020. In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, for his contributions towards the field of arts and aesthetics.

<i>Ninne Pelladata</i> (1996 film) 1996 Indian film

Ninne Pelladata is a 1996 Indian Telugu-language romantic family drama film, produced by Nagarjuna under the Annapurna Studios banner and directed by Krishna Vamsi. It stars Nagarjuna and Tabu, and music composed by Sandeep Chowta. The film was remade in Kannada as Preethsod Thappa. The film has received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for that year. This film recorded as Industry Hit at box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagarjuna (actor)</span> Indian actor and producer (born 1959)

Akkineni Nagarjuna Rao, known mononymously as Nagarjuna, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and entrepreneur. Nagarjuna has acted predominantly in Telugu cinema, along with a few Hindi and Tamil films. He received two National Film Awards namely, for Ninne Pelladata (1996), which he produced won the Best Feature Film in Telugu and a Special Mention as actor for Annamayya (1997); nine state Nandi Awards, and three Filmfare Awards South.

Pasupuleti Venkata Bangarraju, known professionally as Krishna Vamsi, is an Indian film director, producer and choreographer known for his work in Telugu cinema. Vamsi started his career as an assistant director to Ram Gopal Varma. He made his directorial debut with the 1995 crime film Gulabi, starring J. D. Chakravarthi. He has received two National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and four Nandi Awards.

<i>Murari</i> (2001 film) 2001 Telugu film by Krishna Vamsi

Murari is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language supernatural family drama film written and directed by Krishna Vamsi. The film features Mahesh Babu in the title role along with Sonali Bendre, Lakshmi, Sukumari, Kaikala Satyanarayana, and Gollapudi Maruthi Rao. The film marks Bendre's Telugu debut. Mani Sharma composed the music, while Ram Prasad handled the cinematography. Peter Hein debuted as an action choreographer with this film. The film marked the last on-screen appearance of veteran Telugu actor Dhulipala Seetarama Sastry.

<i>Major Chandrakanth</i> (1993 film) 1993 Indian film

Major Chandrakanth is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language film, produced by Mohan Babu under his Sri Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures banner and directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Mohan Babu, Sharada, Ramya Krishna, Nagma and has music composed by M. M. Keeravani. N. T. Rama Rao portrayed the characters of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in the Punyabhumi Naa Desam song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu</span>

The Filmfare Best Actor Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Telugu films. The awards were extended to "Best Actor" in 1972. The year indicates the year of release of the film. Chiranjeevi is the most nominated with 21 nominations and the most awarded with seven times winning the award.

<i>Alluri Seetarama Raju</i> (film) 1974 film

Alluri Seetarama Raju is a 1974 Indian Telugu-language biographical action film directed by V. Ramachandra Rao and written by Tripuraneni Maharadhi. The film stars Krishna, Vijaya Nirmala, and Jaggayya. It is produced by Padmalaya Studios marking the 100th film of Krishna. The film depicts the life of Alluri Sitarama Raju, an Indian revolutionary, who is known for his role in the Rampa Rebellion of 1922–24. Seetarama Raju, with a band of farmers, tribal leaders and other sympathizers, fought an armed rebellion against the British Raj in response to repressive legislation passed in 1882.

<i>Chandralekha</i> (1997 film) 1997 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film by Priyadarshan

Chandralekha is a 1997 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film written and directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Fazil. It stars Mohanlal, Sukanya, Pooja Batra, Sreenivasan, Nedumudi Venu, and Innocent. The film's title is a portmanteau of the two female lead characters' names—Chandra and Lekha. Berny-Ignatius composed the songs, while the film score was composed by S. P. Venkatesh. The film's core plot was inspired by the 1995 Hollywood film While You Were Sleeping.

<i>Gulabi</i> (1995 film) 1995 Indian film

Gulabi is a 1995 Telugu romantic thriller film starring J. D. Chakravarthy and Maheswari in the lead roles. The film was directed by debutant Krishna Vamsi, produced by Ram Gopal Varma and was co-produced by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited. Upon release, the film received positive reviews and was declared a hit at the box office. The film was dubbed into Tamil as Idhayame Idhayame. The film was remade in Hindi as Aashiq (2001).

<i>Kedi</i> (2010 film) 2010 film directed by Kiran Kumar

Kedi (transl. Conman) is a 2010 Indian Telugu-language action film written and directed by Kiran Kumar. It was produced by D. Sivaprasad Reddy, under Kamakshi Movies. It starred Nagarjuna Akkineni and Mamta Mohandas, with Ankur Vikal in the role of the antagonist. The music score was composed by Sandeep Chowtha, his fourth collaboration with Nagarjuna after Ninne Pelladutha (1996), Chandralekha (1998), and Super (2005).

<i>Prema Katha</i> 1999 Indian film

Prema Katha is a 1999 Indian Telugu-language romance drama film written by Vara Prasad Varma and directed by Ram Gopal Varma. It is the debut film of both Sumanth and Antara Mali as leads in the Telugu film industry. The film opened to positive reviews by critics but was commercially unsuccessful. It had a highly praised soundtrack by Sandeep Chowta including the hit song "Devudu Karunisthaadani". The film bagged six state Nandi Awards and was dubbed into Tamil as Kadhal Vanile.

<i>Varasudu</i> 1993 Indian film

Varasudu (transl. Heir) is a 1993 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by D. Kishore under the Sri Jayabheri Art Productions banner, presented by Murali Mohan, directed by E. V. V. Satyanarayana and cinematography by Chota K. Naidu. It stars Nagarjuna, Nagma and Krishna, with music composed by M. M. Keeravani. It is a remake of the Hindi film Phool Aur Kaante (1991) which is loosely based on the Malayalam film Parampara (1990). The film was a commercial success. The film completed a 200 day theatrical run.

W/O V. Varaprasad is a 1997 Telugu romantic thriller film, produced by Ram Gopal Varma and directed by Vamsy. The film stars Vineeth and J. D. Chakravarthy. The film revolves around a romantic drama suspense story. The songs were written by Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry.

<i>Samudram</i> (1999 film) 1999 Indian film

Samudram (transl. Sea) is a 1999 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by J.Bhagavan, D. V. V. Danayya under the Sri Balaji Art Creations banner and directed by Krishna Vamsi. It stars Jagapati Babu, Sakshi Shivanand, Srihari, Prakash Raj and Ravi Teja, with music composed by Shashi Preetam. The film won three state Nandi Awards.

<i>Vivaha Bhojanambu</i> (1988 film) 1988 Indian film

Vivaha Bhojanambu is a 1988 Telugu-language comedy film directed by Jandhyala who co-produced the film with Jaya Krishna under the J. J. Movies banner. It stars Rajendra Prasad, Chandra Mohan, and Ashwini with music composed by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. The film's title is the song from the 1957 Telugu film Mayabazar. The original song and its video played during the credits. The film, which was released at the peak prowess of all the lead actors and comedians & the Director Jandhyala himself, was very successful at the box office. It is known for its cult comedy scenes betwee Late Sutti Veerabhadra Rao and Iconic comedian Dr Bramhanandam.

<i>Hema Hemeelu</i> 1979 Indian film

Hema Hemeelu is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by Vijaya Nirmala. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Krishna, Vijaya Nirmala and Zarina Wahab, with music composed by Ramesh Naidu. It was produced by S. Raghunath and presented by Krishna under the Sri Vijaya Krishna Movies banner. It was dubbed and released in Tamil as Vaira Kireedam in 1980.

References

  1. 1 2 "Interview with Krishna Vamsi Part - 1 by Jeevi". Idlebrain.com . 16 July 1999.
  2. ↑ "Rediff On The NeT, Movies: Gossip from the southern film industry". Rediff.com . 30 September 1999. Retrieved 12 September 2022. Even his successful team with Krishna Vamshi (Ninney Pelladata) failed with Nagarjuna home production, Chandra Lekha.
  3. ↑ http://www.zaminryot.com/pdf/1998/Aug/14-Aug-1998.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.