| Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical-release poster | |
| Directed by | L. V. Prasad |
| Written by | Chakrapani L. V. Prasad Vempati Sadasivabrahmam |
| Produced by | Nagi Reddy Chakrapani |
| Starring | N. T. Rama Rao Savitri Jamuna Jaggayya |
| Cinematography | Marcus Bartley |
| Edited by | G. Kalyanasundaram K. Radhakrishna |
| Music by | S. Rajeswara Rao |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 158 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu (transl. Live Comfortably on Credit)[a] is a 1959 IndianTelugu-languagecomedy drama film directed and co-written byL. V. Prasad. The film was produced byNagi Reddi andChakrapani ofVijaya Productions; the latter co-wrote its script with Prasad andVempati Sadasivabrahmam. It is the Telugu version of Prasad'sTamil filmKadan Vaangi Kalyaanam (1958). StarringN. T. Rama Rao,Relangi andSavitri,Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu featuresJaggayya,C. S. R. Anjaneyulu,S. V. Ranga Rao, andJamuna in supporting roles. The conflict between two older men with different mindsets—Ramadasu (an eternal, devious debtor) and Mukundarao (a generous, rich gentleman with fake prestige)—is the film's centrepiece.
Production began after the success ofMayabazar (1957), with M. S. Chalapathi Rao and Jagannadham the film's executive producers.Marcus Bartley was the director of photography.S. Rajeswara Rao composed the soundtrack and background score. G. Kalyanasundaram and K. Radhakrishna edited the film, and Madhavapeddi Gokhale and Kaladhar were its art directors. The film is shown almost entirely in black and white, with the exception of a dance sequence filmed inGevacolor.
Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu was released on 14 January 1959, during theMakara Sankranti festival season. With average returns during its first four weeks, the film eventually became an above-average grosser and its re-release was profitable. It hascult status inTelugu cinema, and is an acclaimed Prasad film. Goldstone Technologies announced that they would attempt to digitise the film in 2007, but abandoned the attempt three years later.
Ramadasu, a deviouszamindar who recently acquired the colonial title ofRao Bahadur, is a perennial debtor who believes in leading a luxurious life on credit.Dewan Bahadur Mukunda Rao, a wealthy, generous but naive zamindar, is searching for a royal bridegroom for his granddaughter Manjari. While Ramadasu also borrows from Rao, he secretly wishes to have Manjari married to his son Raghu, so that Rao's wealth becomes his, enabling him to pay his debts. Complicating things is Raghu's earlier marriage in his childhood to Leela, whose brother Raja is in prison for his participation in theIndian independence movement. In order to get more credit, Ramadasu uses his shrewd manager Bhaja Govindam to find more lenders, and placate angry creditors with false promises. Behind Govindam's back however, Ramadasu bribes Govindam's uncle and Rao's manager, Ramalingam, with the promise of getting Ramalingam's daughter Usha, who Govindam is in love with, married. Rao, unaware of the deception, agrees to the alliance.
Fed up of his boss's backstabbing, Govindam, Usha and Manjari conspire to stop the wedding. Raja is released from prison after serving his sentence, and is briefed about the situation. Raja and Manjari were in love during their college days, and she tells him about Ramadasu's intentions. Raja confronts Ramadasu about his sister's ill treatment, and gets into a scuffle with his bodyguard. Ramadasu offers to let Leela stay in the house on the condition that she becomes a mute servant. After Raghu arrives from London, Ramadasu misleads him into thinking that Leela has died. As part of his plan, Govindam has Raja disguised as Prince Bonkulamarri Raja, a royal prince and businessman, and enters him into Rao's house. Rao is impressed with Raja and considers him a suitable bridegroom for Manjari. One night, Raghu hears Leela speaking to Raja, and confronts Chenchalayya, Ramadasu's servant, who divulges her identity and Raja's secret. Raghu meets with Govindam and is briefed about the plan, but asks him to not tell anyone. Raghu then continues to flirt with Manjari and play the prospective bridegroom, while also trying to tease Leela, much to Ramadasu's chagrin.
After the success ofMayabazar (1957), directed byK. V. Reddy,Nagi Reddi andChakrapani ofVijaya Productions planned to make a contemporary film. Chakrapani came up with an idea about conflict between two older men who are polar opposites: one a debtor evading his creditors, and the other a wealthy gentleman with an inflated sense of prestige.[1][2]L. V. Prasad was chosen to direct the film; he, Chakrapani andVempati Sadasivabrahmam developed a script entitledAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu, after a popular Telugu idiom. It was the only film from Vijaya Productions with dialogue written by Sadasivabrahmam.[1][2]
Film historianRandor Guy opines thatAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu was a Telugu remake of Prasad's Tamil filmKadan Vaangi Kalyaanam (1958).[3] Others such asAshish Rajadhyaksha andPaul Willemen (authors ofEncyclopedia of Indian Cinema),[4] film scholar Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai,[5] and M. L. Narasimhan ofThe Hindu believe that they were filmed simultaneously with different casts for different versions.[1]Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass wrote the dialogue forKadan Vaangi Kalyaanam,[3] and M. S. Chalapathi Rao and Jagannadham were the film's executive producers.[6]
N. T. Rama Rao andSavitri were chosen for the lead roles, withJaggayya,C. S. R. Anjaneyulu,S. V. Ranga Rao andJamuna in supporting roles; Jamuna had no dialogue for most of the film.[2] It was Rama Rao's 55th film as an actor,[2] and Jaggayya's first film for Vijaya Productions. Jaggayya replacedAkkineni Nageswara Rao, who bowed out due to scheduling conflicts.[1] Jaggayya had worked with Prasad as avoice artist for the Telugu-dubbed version of the director'sManohara (1954).[7] ComedianPotti Prasad andPadmanabham made appearances as the prospective bridegrooms ofGirija, who playedRelangi's fiancée; the former made hisTelugu cinema debut with this film. Prasad, who received₹1,116 for his single scene, praised Nagi Reddi and Chakrapani's generosity.[1]Marcus Bartley was the director of photography.[1][2]S. Rajeswara Rao composed the soundtrack and background score, assisted by Ogirala Ramachandra Rao and K. Prasada Rao. Ramachandra Rao's son, Narasimhamurthy, was cast as a child artiste.[1] G. Kalyanasundaram and K. Radhakrishna edited the film, and Madhavapeddi Gokhale and Kaladhar were its art directors.[1]
The success ofMissamma (1955) encouraged Chakrapani to include a dream sequence, "Damayanti Swayamvaram", in which Rama Rao, Savitri and Jaggayya playNala,Damayanti andIndra.[2] Rama Rao had to shave his signature moustache for a scene, makingAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu the only contemporary film in which he is clean-shaven.[2] Another dance scene, "Aathmathyagam", was filmed byE. V. Saroja andMikkilineni inGevacolor; both were choreographed by Pasumarthi Krishnamurthy. Though the film is shown almost entirely in black and white, "Aathmathyagam" alone was filmed in colour.[1] M. Pithambaram and T. P. Bhaktavatsalam provided the make-up.[6]Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu was processed at the Vijaya Laboratory, and was recorded with the Westrex Sound System.[6] The film's final length was 4,934 metres (16,188 ft).[6]
S. Rajeswara Rao composed the soundtrack ofAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu.Pingali Nagendrarao wrote the lyrics. Sound mixing was supervised by A. Krishnan and V. Sivaram, processed by N. C. Sen Gupta and orchestrated by A. Krishnamurthy.[6]Ghantasala provided vocals for Rama Rao and Ramaiah, andA. M. Rajah sang for Jaggayya's portions.[2]P. Leela,P. Susheela, and Swarnalatha provided vocals for the actresses.[6] "Echatinundi Veecheno" was based on theMohana raga.[8] For "Sundarangulanu Choosina Velana" Rajeswara Rao re-used the melody of "Brundavanamadi Andaridi Govindudu Andarivadele", which he wrote for Vijaya Productions'Missamma at Chakrapani's urging (a rare example of the composer recycling an earlier song).[1]
Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu's soundtrack was released in December 1959 on theSaregama label.[b] "Kaseeki Poyanu Ramahari", "Echatinundi Veecheno", "Moogavaina Emile Nagumome" and "Cheyi Cheyi Kaluparave" became popular over the years;[1] "Cheyi Cheyi Kaluparave" was parodied by theIndian National Congress as part of their election campaign during the1989 general elections.[2] The poem "Nava Kala Samithi" and other popular songs were played by keyboardist V. Seetharamaiah at the April 2013 Ghantasala Padya Sangeetha Vibhavari event at Kalabharathi Auditorium inVisakhapatnam.[11]
Track listing[9]
All lyrics are written byPingali Nagendrarao.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu" | Ghantasala | 2:40 |
| 2. | "Kalam Kaani Kalamlo" | P. Leela,P. Susheela | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Rama Rama Saranam" | P. Leela | 2:02 |
| 4. | "Nava Kala Samithi" | Ghantasala | 1:08 |
| 5. | "Joharu Gaikonara" | P. Leela | 2:52 |
| 6. | "Balidaanam" | Ghantasala, P. Susheela | 4:33 |
| 7. | "Oh Panchavannela Chilaka" | Ghantasala, Swarnalatha | 2:53 |
| 8. | "Yechati Nundi Veecheno" | Ghantasala, P. Leela | 2:41 |
| 9. | "Sundarangulanu Choosina Velana" | Ghantasala, A. M. Rajah, P. Leela | 3:34 |
| 10. | "Moogavaina Yemile" | A. M. Rajah | 2:10 |
| 11. | "Chitra Naleeyam" | Ghantasala, P. Leela | 6:17 |
| 12. | "Chinnari Choopulaku" | A M Rajah | 2:12 |
| 13. | "Anandam Paramanandam" | Ghantasala,P. Leela | 2:24 |
| 14. | "Cheyi Cheyi Kaluparave" | A. M. Rajah, P. Leela | 2:42 |
| 15. | "Kaseeki Poyanu Ramahari" | Ghantasala, Swarnalatha | 2:54 |
Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu was released theatrically on 14 January 1959, during theMakara Sankranti festival season.[1] With mediocre earnings during its first four weeks, the film became an above-average grosser.[1][2] Its re-release was profitable, and it became a Telugu cult film.[1]
According to M. L. Narasimham ofThe Hindu, Prasad's "deft handling" made the scenes "flow smoothly" despite the number of characters but the magic ofPelli Chesi Choodu (1952) andMissamma was missing fromAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu.[1] In theirEncyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen wrote that the film "stages the victory of nationalist-modern alliance over decadent feudalism"; Ramaiah's scenes are its "most remarkable sections", giving a "semblance of unity" to a plot they found "barely coherent".[4] K. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake wrote thatAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu,Missamma,Gundamma Katha (1962) andRamudu Bheemudu (1964) "represented the scope comedy had in the 1950s and 60s."[12]
In September 2006, a postage stamp commemorating Prasad was issued inHyderabad. M. L. Narasimham, in an article about the honour, listedAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu withShavukaru (1950),Samsaram (1950),Pelli Chesi Choodu,Manohara,Missamma and others as acclaimed films by the director after the release ofMana Desam (1949) and his association with Vijaya Productions.[13]Appu Chesi Pappu Koodu was one of the popular 1950s films featuringRamana Reddy and Relangi Venkata Ramaiah, whom film historian Punnami Ravi Chandra termed theLaurel and Hardy of Telugu cinema at the time.[14]Relangi Narasimha Rao's 2008 comedy film of the same name, starringRajendra Prasad,[15] was a commercial failure.[16]
In late November 2007,Hyderabad-based Goldstone Technologies acquired thefilm-negative rights to 14 Telugu films produced by Vijaya Vauhini Studios (includingMayabazar andAppu Chesi Pappu Koodu) to produce digitally-remastered versions in colour.[17] Although the remastered, colourised version ofMayabazar was released in January 2010 and performed well in theatres, Goldstone decided not to remaster the remaining 13 films. According to the company, most of the producers who sold their negative rights to television networks relinquished control of them and the legal ownership and copyright issues proved insurmountable.[18]
