''Mala Pilla'' or ''Malapilla'' (''English: ''Girl from Mala caste) is a 1938 Indian Telugu-language

social problem A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's cont ...

film directed by

Gudavalli Ramabrahmam Gudavalli Ramabrahmam was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Telugu cinema. He is known for directing critically acclaimed social problem films like ''Mala Pilla'' (1938) and ''Raithu Bidda'' (1939). At a time w ...

and written by

Tapi Dharma Rao Thapi Dharma Rao Naidu (1887–1973) was a Telugu writer, lyricist and social reformer. He wrote dialogues and lyrics for the films like ''Mala Pilla'', ''Drohi'', ''Thathaji'', ''Bhishma'', and ''Patni''. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Awar ...

.S. V. Rama Rao (2006) ''Naati 101 Chitralu''. Kinnera Publications, Hyderabad. p. 14. The film was produced by Raja of

Challapalli Challapalli (officially known as Challapalle) is a village in the Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Challapalli mandal, Machilipatnam revenue division. Geography Challapalli is located at . It has a ...

, Yarladadda Sivarama Prasad on Sarathi Films banner. It featured

Kanchanamala Kanchanamala (1917–1981) was an Indian actress known for her works in Telugu cinema. Personal life She was born in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh. During her childhood days, she went to live with her uncle who was a violin teacher. She was married to ...

in the

title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

with Gali Venkateswara Rao,

Govindarajula Subba Rao Dr. Govindarajula Venkata Subba Rao (1895 – 29 October 1959) was a famous Telugu drama and film actor.Nata Ratnalu, Dr. Mikkilineni Radhakrishna Murthy, Second edition, Seetharatnam Grandhamala, Vijayawada, 2002, pp:56-59 Life sketch He play ...

, P. Suribabu, Sundaramma in other prominent roles. It is a social drama depicting the love story between a

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...

boy and a

Dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...

girl.Nostalgia Mala Pilla (1938) at Cinegoer.com
The film dealt with themes like

untouchability Untouchability is a form of social institution that legitimises and enforces practices that are discriminatory, humiliating, exclusionary and exploitative against people belonging to certain social groups. Although comparable forms of discrimin ...

, taboo on entry into temples for

Gandhism Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision, and the life work of M.K. Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance. The term " ...

, and

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

in pre-independent India. The film was dedicated to the

Maharajah of Travancore The Maharaja of Travancore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Travancore in the southern part of Kerala, India. The Maharaja of Travancore was the topmost ruler of Travancore until 1949, when Travancore was annexed into Ind ...

, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who had passed a

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

allowing members of all castes to enter temples. ''Malapilla'' was released in a record 12 centres on September 25, 1938, and was a big hit. On its release, the film caused a sensation, rejecting the

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

-derived mythological genre dominating

Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Telugu cinema is based in Film Nagar, ...

in the 1930s. The film's success kindled interest in other Telugu

filmmakers Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

to make films based on social themes. ''Malapilla'' was also the 50th

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

film made in Telugu cinema.

Plot

Inspired by

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, Radhabayamma (Hemalatha Devi) launches Harijan movement in Kalyanapuram village much to the chagrin of the orthodox

community and the upper castes. When Dalits try to enter the temple, the trustee Sundara Ramasastry (Govindarajula Subbarao) stops them. His son Nagaraju (Gali Venkateswara Rao), a photographer falls in love with Sampalatha. Chowdharayya (P. Suribabu), a

Gandhian The followers of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians. Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environmentalism, ...

, makes a futile attempt to bring a compromise between the upper castes and the Dalits. Nagaraju and Sampalatha elope to

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

where he finds a job. Anasuya (Sundaramma) Sampalatha's sister accompanies them. Nagaraju educates Sampalatha. In the village, Chowdharayya leads a non-violent movement by Dalits against the upper castes. Dalits save Sundara Ramasastry's wife from a fire accident and Sastry is a changed man now agreeing to allow harijans into the temple. With his father's blessings, Nagaraju marries Sampalatha.

Cast

as Sampalatha * Gali Venkateswara Rao as Nagaraju *

as Sundara Ramasastry * P. Suribabu as Chowdharayya * V. V. Subbaiah * Raghavan * Sundaramma as Anasuya * Hemalatha Devi as Radhabayamma * Gangarathnam * Katuri Jaganmohan * Vangara

Production

Development

The village girl Sampalatha's character in ''Malapilla'' based on Gudipaati Venkata Chalam's unpublished novelette.

wrote the screenplay for ''Malapilla'', while most of Chalam's dialogues were retained.

Casting

During his stint as a production director with Vel Pictures, Ramabrahmam felt that Kancanamala was not fit for acting and rejected her. As she rose in career, he realised he was wrong and signed her for the village girl Sampalatha's character. Sceptics commented that she was a misfit for such a complex character as she was famous for glamorous roles until then. But her performance as an illiterate downtrodden village belle in the first half and as the literate modern city woman in the later portions was commended Dr. Govindarajula Subbarao, a veteran stage actor and a popular LMP doctor from

Tenali Tenali is a city in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Tenali mandal and Tenali revenue division. The city is renowned for art, culture, drama and hence, it is called ''Andhra ...

was cast for the role of the antagonist Sundara Ramasastry. At first he refused to take up the assignment as he was asked to shave his head and moustache. After his mother gave him permission to do so, he relented.

Filming

The film was shot in 40 days at K. Subrahmanyam's Motion Picture Producers Studio in

Mount Road Anna Salai (), formerly known as St. Thomas Mount Road or simply Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George, leading in a south-westerly direction towards St. Thomas Mount, and end ...

, Madras that was later acquired in an auction by

S. S. Vasan Subramaniam Srinivasan (4 January 1904 – 26 August 1969), popularly known by his screen name S. S. Vasan, was an Indian journalist, writer, advertiser, film producer, director and business tycoon. He is the founder of the Tamil-language maga ...

who renamed it

Gemini Studios Gemini Studios was an Indian film studio based in Madras, Tamil Nadu. It was launched when S. S. Vasan, a businessman of many ventures (including the ownership of Ananda Vikatan) bought Motion Picture Producers' Combines from Krishnaswamy Sub ...

. The film was dedicated to the

, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who had passed a

allowing members of all castes to enter temples.

Music

Bhimavarapu Narasimha Rao (BNR) composed the music for the film. The soundtrack had 17 songs and 5 poems mostly based on

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

. Ramabrahmam took three of Basavaraju Apparao's by then popular lyrics – ''Kollayi gattithe nemi'', ''Nallavaade Gollapillavaade'', and ''Aa mabbu…ee mabbu''. The songs were highly popular. * ''Aa Mabbu Ee Mabbu'' * ''Jai Mahadev'' * ''Jatara Setamu Ra'' * ''Vaduku Vaduku'' * ''Kuleelandaru Ekamu Kavale Ra'' * ''Venu Manohara Ganamu'' * ''Savirahe Tavadeena'' * ''Nallavade Gollapillavade''

Release

The film was released in a record 12 centres on 25 September 1938. Some people tried to stop the screening; in retaliation Ramabrahmam gave free passes to Brahmins who wanted to watch it. Some people who watched the film went home and bathed to get rid of the sin of watching such a film.

Reception and legacy

The film was a big hit. On its release, it caused a sensation, rejecting the stage-derived mythological genre dominating Telugu cinema in the 1930s. The film's success kindled interest in other Telugu

to make films based on social themes. ''Malapilla'' discarded the litearary Telugu used in films until then and traded it for colloquial Telugu in its dialogue. Kanchanamala's still from the film's promotional calendar became popular and found its way into many calendars in Telugu homes.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, tt0259415, Malapilla 1930s Telugu-language films 1938 films Indian black-and-white films Indian drama films 1938 drama films Films scored by Master Venu Films about the caste system in India