''Padandi Munduku: The Dandi March'' is a 1962
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
-language
political thriller
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The ...
film directed by
V. Madhusudhana Rao,
and produced by
Jaggayya
Kongara Jaggayya (31 December 1928 – 5 March 2004) was an Indian actor, littérateur, journalist, lyricist, dubbing artist and politician known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He was known as ''Kanchu Kantham J ...
.
The film is touted to be the first Indian film based on the
Salt March
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March to 6 April 1930 as a di ...
and India's independence movement as its core theme.
The
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to ...
film featured Kongara Jagayya,
Jamuna,
Gummadi,
Ramana Reddy
Ramana Reddy (1 October 1921 – 11 November 1974) was an Indian character actor, comedian and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. In a career spanning 24 years, he acted in more than 200 movies. Ramana Reddy and Relangi ...
,
Kanta Rao
Tadepalli Lakshmi Kantha Rao (16 November 1923 – 22 March 2009) was an Indian actor and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. Regarded as one of the finest method actors, Rao starred in more than four hundred feature ...
, G. Varalakshmi, K. V. S. Sarma, Hemalatha, Master Suresh and
Krishna Ghattamaneni
Ghattamaneni Siva Rama Krishna Murthy (31 May 1943 – 15 November 2022), known mononymously as Krishna, was an Indian actor, director and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema. In a film career spanning five decades, he ...
in his debut,
V. Nagayya
V. Nagayya (born Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya Sarma; 28 March 1904 – 30 December 1978) also known as Chittoor Nagayya was an Indian actor, singer, music composer, and director known for his works in Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, and Telugu theatre. ...
,
S. V. Ranga Rao
Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao (3 July 1918 – 18 July 1974), popularly known as SVR, was an Indian actor, producer, and director known for his works majorly in Telugu and Tamil films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history of ...
,
C. S. R. Anjaneyulu
Chilakalapudi Seeta Rama Anjaneyulu (11 July 1907 – 8 October 1963), popularly known as C. S. R., was an Indian method actor, and thespian best known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theater. He acted in many stage dramas and portray ...
, Balakrishna, Peketi, Kamala Kumari, Jayanthi, and Rajasulochana in pivotal roles, while Indian wrestlers Ajith Singh and Sethi were also featured in guest roles.
The film received critical reception at the
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...
, the Tashkent Film Festival,
and the
5th Moscow International Film Festival
The 5th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 5 to 20 July 1967. The Grand Prix was shared between the Soviet film '' The Journalist'', directed by Sergei Gerasimov and the Hungarian film ''Father'', directed by István Szabó. The fe ...
, including special mention from Russian Jury member
Alexander Rou
Alexander Arturovich Rou (also, Rowe, from his Irish father's name) (russian: Александр Артурович Роу, – 28 December 1973) was a Soviet film director, and People's Artist of the RSFSR (1968). He directed a number of chi ...
.
Plot
During 1920, the time of British Raj in
Madras State
Madras State was a state of India during the mid-20th century. At the time of its formation in 1950, it included the whole of present-day Tamil Nadu (except Kanyakumari district), Coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema, the Malabar region of North and c ...
a train accident separates freedom fighter couple Santhamma (G. Varalakshmi) and husband Dharmarao (K. V. S. Sarma). However, Santhamma survives and brings up her son Sathyadev (Jaggaiah) and adopts another son Arjun (Master Suresh), and inculcates in them Gandhiji's principles. Arjun participates in the 1930
Salt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March to 6 April 1930 as a di ...
, kills a British officer, and flies the Indian tricolor flag. On the other hand, DSP Sankara Rao (Gummadi), the brother of Santhamma, working under the British administration, summons Santhamma for the act, and her son Arjun is imprisoned.
However, with the help of Sankara Rao's daughter Sarala (Jamuna) and her follower Vinayak (Ramana Reddy), Sathyadev rescues Arjun from a hospital where he is being treated. Dharmarao brings the grievously injured Sathyadev and Arjun home. However, his second wife's son Suresh (Kantharao) drives them to Sankara Rao's house instead of the doctor's home. Sarala manages to free them from the home. Having identified themselves as vigilantes to Rao's wife, Sathyadev and Arjun take shelter at Rao's house without his knowledge, Rao's wife Parvathi (
Hemalatha
Hemalatha, often credited as Hema, is an Indian actress and dancer. She is acclaimed for her roles as Raghavi in the popular soap opera ''Kana Kaanum Kaalangal'' on STAR Vijay and as Deepa in the superhit Tamil drama serial on Sun TV ''Thend ...
) realizes that Arjun is their lost child. When an unnerved Rao and a British official tries to take them into custody, Sathyadev and Arjun kill the corrupt British officer and escape. In the ensuing chase and shootout, Santhamma, who comes in between, succumbs to bullet injuries and dies. A repentant Rao resigns his job opposing the British raj's atrocities towards Indians and protests, with India attaining independence, Sathyadev and Arjun are released from the prison.
Production
V. Madhusudhana Rao helmed the production design for the film. The soundtrack and background score was composed by
S. P. Kodandapani
Sripathi Panditharadhyula Kodandapani ( 5 April 1974) was an Indian music composer and playback singer in Telugu cinema. He composed music for more than 100 films. He made his debut as an playback singer in the 1955 film ''Santhanam''. Later, ...
.
The talkie part of the film was shot at Saradhi Studios, in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
, and crucial scenes were shot in Tenali in
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
with few retrospective scenes showcasing Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru. The film was released during the republic day weekend of January 26, 1962, to positive reviews.
Soundtrack
* "Padandi Munduku Padandi Tosuku" (Lyrics:
Sri Sri; Singers:
Ghantasala,
Madhavapeddi Satyam
Madhavapeddi Satyam (11 March 1922 – 18 December 2000) was an Indian playback singer and actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema.
He entered films as a singer-actor in Y. V. Rao's Tamil-Hindi bilingual movie ''Ramadas'' in the year 194 ...
,
A. P. Komala
Arkadu Parthasarathy Komala (born 28 August 1934), commonly known as A. P. Komala, is an Indian playback singer. She has sung songs in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada languages.
Career life
She was a much sought after playback singer from t ...
)
* "Manasu Manchidi Vayasu Cheddadi" (Lyrics:
Aathreya
Acharya Aatreya (born Kilambi Venkata Narasimhacharyulu ) (7 May 1921 – 13 September 1989) was an Indian poet, lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter known for his works in Telugu cinema and Telugu theatre. He received the state Nandi Award f ...
; Singers: Ghantasala,
P. Susheela
Pulapaka Susheela (born 13 November 1935), popularly known as P. Susheela, is an Indian playback singer associated with the South Indian cinema primarily from Andhra Pradesh for over six decades. She is one of the greatest and best-known playba ...
)
* "Meluko Saagipo Bandhanalu Tenchuko" (Lyrics: Dasarathi; Singers: Ghantasala, Madhavapeddi Satyam, A. P. Komala)
References
{{V. Madhusudhana Rao, state=collapsed
1960s Telugu-language films
1962 films
Indian nonlinear narrative films
Films about rebellions
1960s action thriller films
Films set in the 1930s
Indian political thriller films
Indian films about revenge
Indian buddy films
Films set in Chennai
Films about social issues in India
Films about corruption in India
Cultural depictions of Mahatma Gandhi
Epic films based on actual events
Films set in the Indian independence movement
Indian vigilante films
Films directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao
Films scored by S. P. Kodandapani