Sri Sarathi Studios is a

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

facility located 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 ...

, India. It was established in 1956 and was the first film studio facility built in Hyderabad. It was built by the 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 ...

Yarlagadda Sivarama Prasad Yarlagadda Sivarama Prasad (3 April 1903 - 1976), also known as Challapalli Raja, was an Indian aristocrat, industrialist, politician, film producer, and film studio owner. He was the last hereditary zamindar of the Challapalli Samasthanam (estate ...

. The first film shot in the studio was ''

Maa Inti Mahalakshmi ''Maa Inti Mahalakshmi'' is a 1959 Indian Telugu-language family drama film directed by G. Ramineedu and written by K. Pratyagatma. It stars Jamuna and Haranath. The was produced by Parvathaneni Gangadhara Rao and the music was composed by G ...

'' (1959). It was also the first Telugu film to be completely filmed in Hyderabad. Sarathi also had a

film production 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 ...

division named Sarathi Films set up in 1937, which produced many notable films like ''

Mala Pilla ''Mala Pilla'' or ''Malapilla'' (''English: ''Girl from Mala caste) is a 1938 Indian Telugu-language social problem film directed by Gudavalli Ramabrahmam and written by Tapi Dharma Rao.S. V. Rama Rao (2006) ''Naati 101 Chitralu''. Kinnera Publ ...

'' (1938), ''

Raithu Bidda ''Raithu Bidda'' (''English:'' Farmer of Common Origins) ( ''Telugu'': రైతు బిడ్డ, lit. Farmer-Son of the Soil) is a 1939 Telugu social problem film directed by Gudavalli Ramabrahmam. It is a social reformist film during the p ...

'' (1939), ''

Mayalokam ''Mayalokam'' () is a 1945 Telugu-language film produced and directed by Gudavalli Ramabrahmam under the Sarathi Films banner. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and S. Varalakshmi, with music composed by Galipenchala Narasimha Rao. The film is th ...

'' (1945), ''

Rojulu Marayi ''Rojulu Marayi'' () is a 1955 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by Tapi Chanakya. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Sowcar Janaki with music composed by Master Venu. The film was produced by C. V. R. Prasad on Sarathi Films banner. T ...

'' (1955), ''

Kalasi Vunte Kaladu Sukham ''Kalasi Vunte Kaladu Sukham'' () is a 1961 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by Y. Rama Krishna Prasad and C. V. R. Prasad under Saradhi Studios and directed by Tapi Chanakya. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Savitri, with music composed ...

'' (1961), ''

Aatmiyulu Aatmiyulu () is a 1969 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by D. Madhusudhana Rao under the Saradhi Studios banner and directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Vanisree, with music composed by S. Rajeswara R ...

'' (1969), ''

Annadammula Savaal ''Annadammula Savaal'' () is a 1978 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by K. S. R. Das. The film starring Krishna, Rajinikanth, Jayachitra and Chandrakala. Anjali Devi, Chalam, Jayamalini and Allu Ramalingaiah in the supporting cast. I ...

'' (1978), '' Radha Kalyanam'' (1981), ''

Moodu Mullu ''Moodu Mullu'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Jandhyala. It is a remake of the 1983 Tamil film ''Mundhanai Mudichu''. The film stars Chandramohan and Raadhika. It was released on 9 September 198 ...

'' (1983).

History

Founding

Before Sarathi studios,

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, Hy ...

was based out of Madras (now Chennai) and most Telugu films were made in Madras. Hyderabad was known for Hindi film releases. ''

'' (1955) was released in Hyderabad and it ran for 100 days. At an event celebrating the film's success, the then Revenue Minister of Andhra Pradesh

K. V. Ranga Reddy Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy (12 December 1890 – 24 July 1970) was an Indian statesman and activist served as the first Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1959 to 1962. He is a freedom fighter who fought the Telangana Rebellion against ...

asked Telugu filmmakers to shift to Hyderabad from Madras. In March 1956, Raja of

, the producer of ''Rojulu Marayi'' heeded to Ranga Reddy's call and acquired 11.5 acres of land with a building in

. The building was originally built in 1936 for

Kishen Pershad Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur Yamin us-Sultanat (1864 – 13 May 1940) was an Indian noble who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad twice. He was a childhood friend of the Nizam and was a staunch Nizam loyalist throughout his life. In 1 ...

, then prime minister of

State. It was designed by architect Mohammad Fayazuddin. Fayazuddin later went on to design the State Bank of Hyderabad,

Ravindra Bharathi Ravindra Bharathi is an auditorium located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was named after Rabindranath Tagore. History On 23 March 1960, the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh and a former Chief minister of Andhra State, Bezawada Gopala Re ...

and several other iconic public buildings. Sivarama Prasad had also provided other facilities required for film shoots and established ''Sri Sarathi Studios'' as the first film studio complex in Hyderabad. The

art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

building designed by Fayazuddin in 1936 is now at the heart of the studio complex. Sivarama Prasad's brother Yarlagadda Rama Krishna Prasad acted as the

Managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

and

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the Studio. He took the technical inputs of famous cinematographer and technician CVVR Prasad in constructing Saradhi Studios. In 1959, the first film made at the studio ''Maa Inti Mahalakshmi'' released in theatres. It was also the first Telugu film to be completely filmed in Hyderabad.

Change in Management

In 1966, the management of the studio was passed over to Katragadda Srinivasa Rao, the head of Navayuga Films. He managed the studio for over 40 years. The studio is now being managed by MSRV Prasad who took it over in 2006. At the time of its purchase in 1956, the area was 11.5 acres; it has shrunk to about six acres by 2018. It serves as a location for television shows, serials, post-production work, dubbing and other aspects of

filmmaking 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 ...

. The studio was modernised with a new animation studio,

digital intermediate Digital intermediate (typically abbreviated DI) is a motion picture finishing process which classically involves digitizing a motion picture and manipulating the color and other image characteristics. Definition and overview A digital intermediate ...

lab, editing suits, and digital marketing division. The renovated Sarathi Studios was inaugurated in March 2016 with attendance from veteran

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

Dasari Narayana Rao Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1947 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, lyricist, and politician known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, in addition to Hindi cinema. He has directed more than 150 ...

K. Viswanath Kasinadhuni Viswanath (born 19 February 1930) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South ...

, and

K. Raghavendra Rao Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao (born 23 May 1942) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema besides having directed a few Hindi films. He has garnered four state Nandi Awards and fiv ...

. It was reported in October 2016 that a part of the Sarathi Studios will give way to a commercial mall, multiplex and hotel spread over 97,442 square metres built up area. Murali Krishna Raju, the

COO COO or coo may refer to: Business * Certificate of origin, used in international trade * Chief operating officer or chief operations officer, high-ranking corporate official * Concept of operations, used in Systems Engineering Management Process ...

of the studio said that while the original building with floors for indoor shooting will be intact, the outdoor area will be converted into a thematic mall.

Films shot at Sarathi Studios

*''

'' (1959) * ''Murali Krishna'' (1964) * '' Preminchi Choodu'' (1965) * ''

Navarathri Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in the honour of the goddess Durga. It spans over nine nights (and ten days), first in the month of Chaitra (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), and again in the month of Sharada. It is ob ...

'' (1966) * ''

Bangaru Gajulu ''Bangaru Gaajulu'' () is a 1968 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by C. S. Rao from a story written by Rajasri. Produced by Tammareddy Krishna Murthy, it stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Bharathi, and Vijaya Nirmala with the music comp ...

'' (1968) * ''

Pelli Choopulu ''Pelli Choopulu'' () is a 2016 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Tharun Bhascker and produced by Raj Kandukuri and Yash Rangineni. It features Vijay Deverakonda and Ritu Varma in the lead role ...

'' (1982) * '' Gabbar Singh'' (2012) * ''

Janatha Garage ''Janatha Garage'' () is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Koratala Siva. The film stars Mohanlal, N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Samantha and Nithya Menen. The plot revoles around Sathyam (Mohanlal) and Anand (Jr. NT ...

'' (2016) *''

Yatra ( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated w ...

'' (2019)

Sarathi Films

Sarathi Films was a film production company set up by

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

in partnership with his brother Yarlagadda Rama Krishna Prasad and

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

in 1937. Rama Krishna Prasad acted as the

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

for Sarathi Films. It produced many notable films like ''

'' (1938), ''

'' (1939), ''

'' (1945), ''

'' (1955), ''

'' (1961), ''

'' (1969), ''

'' (1978), '' Radha Kalyanam'' (1981), ''

'' (1983). Sarathi Films produced the debut directorial ventures of noted directors

L. V. Prasad Akkineni Laxmi Vara Prasada Rao (17 January 1907 – 22 June 1994), known professionally as L. V. Prasad, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, and businessman. He was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and is the recipient of the Dad ...

and

Tapi Chanakya Tapi Chanakya (1925–1973), professionally known as Chanakya, was an Indian film director and writer. He is son of the famous writer Tapi Dharma Rao Naidu. He has worked as Radio Telegraphist for the Indian Army. Filmography # Palletoori Pill ...

Waheeda Rehman Waheeda Rehman (born 3 February 1938) is an Indian actress and dancer. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's finest actresses, Rehman's accolades include a National Film Awards, National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. Rehman was honoured wi ...

and singer

Master Venu Madduri Venugopal better known as Master Venu (1916–1981) was an Indian music composer of the Telugu and Tamil cinemas and the father of the actor Bhanu Chander. He was born 1916 in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India and died 1981 in Chenn ...

were introduced to Telugu cinema by Sarathi Films. Rama Krishna Prasad produced many films on Navayuga banner in association with Katragadda Srinivasa Rao.

Films produced by Sarathi Films

* ''

'' (1938) * ''

'' (1939) * ''Panthulamma'' (1943) * ''

'' (1945) * ''Gruhapravesam'' (1946) * ''Antha Manavalle'' (1954) * ''

'' (1955) * ''Peddarikalu'' (1957) * '' Bhagya Devatha'' (1959) * ''Kunkuma Rekha'' (1960) * ''

'' (1961) * ''

Aatma Bandhuvu ''Aatma Bandhuvu'' () is a 1962 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by Sarathi Studios and directed by P. S. Ramakrishna Rao. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao and Savitri, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. It is a remake of the Tam ...

'' (1962) * ''

'' (1969) * ''

Iddaru Asadhyule ''Iddaru Asadhyule'' () is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film starring Krishna, Rajinikanth, Geetha and Madhavi. It was directed by K. S. R. Das Konda Subbarama Das (5 January 1936 – 8 June 2012) or Doss was an Indian film dir ...

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1978) * ''Seethe Ramudaithe'' (1980) * '' Radha Kalyanam'' (1981) * ''

'' (1983) * ''

Jailu Pakshi ''Jailu Pakshi''() is a 1986 Indian Telugu-language film directed by Kodi Ramakrishna , produced by S. Sashi Bhushan in the banner of Sri Sarathi Studios. The film has musical score by K. V. Mahadevan. It was released on 13 December 1986 to p ...

'' (1986)

References

External links

Saradhi Studios at IMDb.
Indian film studios Film production companies based in Hyderabad, India Year of establishment missing {{film-studio-stub