Gudavalli Ramabrahmam

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Gudavalli Ramabrahmam
Born24 June 1898/1902
Nandamuru, Krishna district, British India
Died1 October 1946 (aged 44 or 48)
Occupation(s)Fim director
Screenwriter
Producer
SpouseSaradamba

Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Telugu cinema. [1] [2] He is known for directing critically acclaimed social problem films like Mala Pilla (1938) and Raithu Bidda (1939). [3] [4] At a time when mythological films were ruling the roost, Ramabrahmam ushered in a new era in Telugu cinema by making films on contemporary social issues. [5] [6] [4]

Contents

In 1937, he founded the film production company Sarathi Films along with Raja of Challapalli, Yaralagadda Sivarama Prasad. In 1945, he was elected as the chairman for South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. [7]

Early life and career

Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was born in the village of Nandamuru, Krishna District in 1898 or 1902 to Gudavalli Venkayya and Bapamma. [8] Viswanata Satyanarayana was also born in the same village. Ramabrahmam was educated in Indupalli, Gudivada, and Machilipatnam. He got married at the age of eighteen to Saradhamba. [9] [10] Later he gave up his education and joined the non-cooperation movement by burning foreign clothes in his father-in-law's house. [8]

In 1924, he started “Friends and Co,” a stationery shop in Vijayawada. This store became a meeting place for artists and litterateurs like Basavaraju Apparao, Samudrala Raghavacharya, and Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy. [11] [8] In 1931, he became the Chairman of Andhra Farmers Meeting organizing committee. In 1934, he was elected as the secretary of Andhra Nataka Parishathu. He then worked as the editor of Prajamithra magazine in Madras. [12] [13]

He wrote Kammakula Charitra (transl. History of Kamma caste). He went to Kadapa to do research on Kamma caste. There, he did research on Gandikota and also wrote a play on the destruction of Gandikota titled Gandikota Pathanam which became very popular and was played in many cities. [8]

Subsequently, he ventured into Telugu cinema, and founded the film production company Sarathi Films along with Raja of Challapalli, Yaralagadda Sivarama Prasad and worked as a production executive for the film Kanaka Tara. He then ventured into direction through the folklore film, Draupadi Vasthrapharanam (1936) under his home production. He then teamed up with producer P. V. Das and directed Sree Krishna Leelalu. He has also directed films like Mala Pilla (1938), Raithu Bidda (1939), Illalu (1940), Apavaadhu (1941), Pathni (1942), Panthulamma (1943), and Mayalokam (1945). He died on 1 October 1946. [14] [13] [8] He was also the co-director for the film Palnati Yuddham (1947) which was later finished by L. V. Prasad due to his untimely death in 1946.

Legacy

At a time when mythological films were ruling the roost, Ramabrahmam ushered in a new era in Telugu cinema by making films on contemporary social issues. [5] [6] [15] The success of Malapilla kindled interest in other Telugu filmmakers to make films based on social themes. [16] Malapilla also discarded the literary Telugu used in films until then and traded it for colloquial Telugu in its dialogue. [16]

Selected filmography

YearFilmNotesRef.
1935Sree Krishna Leelalu[ citation needed ]
1936 Draupadi Vastrapaharanam Production controller [13]
1938 Mala Pilla
1939 Raithu Bidda
1940 Illalu
1941Apavaadhu
1942Pathni
1943Panthulamma
1945 Mayalokam
1947 Palnati Yuddham Co-director

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References

  1. ↑ CineGoer.com - Nostalgia - Mala Pilla Archived 26 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Palnati Yuddham (1947)". The Hindu. 9 June 2012. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  3. ↑ Balayogini (1937) - The Hindu
  4. 1 2 Southscope July 2010 - Side A. Southscope. p. 13.
  5. 1 2 "Malapilla (1938)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  6. 1 2 Narasimham, M. L. (22 January 2011). "Malapilla (1938)". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Did you know the popular film Mala Pilla was penned by renowned writer Tapi Dharma Rao ?". The Times of India . 6 April 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gudavalli Ramabrahmam". Vepachedu. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  9. ↑ Gudavalli Rama Brahmam-The Revolutionary Legend! Archived 5 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Gudavalli Ramabrahmam". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  11. ↑ Narasimham, M. L. (22 January 2011). "Malapilla (1938)". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  12. ↑ Nooruguru Telugu Pramukhulu, by M. L. Narasimharao, and Sreenivasarao Vepachedu, May 2002
  13. 1 2 3 Narasimham, M. L. (12 December 2010). "Draupadi Vasthrapaharanam (1936)". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  14. ↑ Naati 101 Chitralu, S. V. Rama Rao, Kinnera Publications, Hyderabad, 2006, pp.14.
  15. ↑ "Malapilla (1938)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Nostalgia Mala Pilla (1938) at Cinegoer.com". cinegoer.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012.
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