''Sri Seeta Rama Jananam'' () is a 1944 Indian

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

Hindu mythological film This is a list of genres of literature and entertainment ( film, television, music, and video games), excluding genres in the visual arts. ''Genre'' is the term for any category of creative work, which includes literature and other forms of a ...

, produced and directed by

Ghantasala Balaramayya Ghantasala Balaramayya was an Indian film director, producer, and actor in Telugu cinema. His notable films include '' Sri Seetarama Jananam'' (1944), '' Balaraju'' (1948), '' Swapna Sundari'' (1950), and '' Sri Lakshmamma Katha'' (1950). Bala ...

under the Pratibha Productions banner. The film stars

Akkineni Nageswara Rao Akkineni Nageswara Rao (20 September 1923 – 22 January 2014), widely known as ANR, was an Indian actor and producer, known for his works majorly in Telugu cinema. He starred in many landmark films in his seventy five-year career, and became on ...

, Tripurasundari,

Vemuri Gaggaiah Vemuri Gaggayya (1895–1955) was an Indian actor, singer, and thespian known for his works in Telugu cinema, and Telugu theatre. In 1933, East India Film Company produced its first Indian film, '' Savitri'' in Telugu. Shot in Calcutta on a bu ...

Rushyendramani Rushyendramani (1 January 1917 – 17 August 2002) was an Indian actress, singer, dancer, and playback singer from South India. She had more than 150 movies to her credit and acted in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films from the 193 ...

. Music was jointly composed by Prabhala Satyanarayana and

Ogirala Ramachandra Rao Ogirala Ramachandra Rao ( te, ఓగిరాల రామచంద్రరావు) (1905–1957) was an Indian actor, music director and multi instrumentalist, predominant in Telugu cinema. Early life and career Ogirala was born on 10 Sept ...

. The film marks the debut of

as a lead actor. It is also the debut of Ghantasala as a chorus singer and in a character role.

Plot

The film begins with Ravana trouncing the universe which establishes him as an autocratic. Once on his journey, he febrile to the beauty of Rambha and molests her. Being cognizant of it, Nalakubara curses him to burn into ash when he aspires to possess any woman against her wish. However, his ferocities peek the summit, when all the creators bow before Lord Vishnu one that gives assurance of salvation to eliminate the monster. Meanwhile, Goddess Lakshmi takes birth as Vedavathi on Earth. At one juncture, Ravana lusts for her when she immediately sacrifices herself with a curse to be reborn as a cause for the destruction of his dynasty. Thereafter, Vedavathi takes birth in Lanka which appalls Mandodari. So, she discards the baby in a box and buries it on either side of the sea. Eventually, Dasaratha the king of Ayodhya is perturbed as childless, so, he conducts Putrakameshti Yaaga with his 3 wives and they are blessed with 4 sons who are the reincarnations of Lord Vishnu, Adhi Sesha, Shankha, & Chakra as Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, & Shatragnya respectively. Parallelly, Janaka the king of Mithila while tilling the ground finds the box enclosing the baby whom he rears as Seeta. Time passes, and Saint Viswamitra arrives and seeks to send Rama & Lakshmana for the protection of his Yaga. Soon, Viswamitra endorses them with powerful armaments which destroy Tataki & Marichasubhahulu and accomplishes the Yaga. Just as, Janaka is announced Swayamvaram of Seeta when Viswamitra proceeds to Mithila with Rama & Lakshmana. On the way, Rama makes a stone form of Ahalya into normal. Here, the challenge is to affix the world-renowned bow of Lord Siva. Nevertheless, Ravana too arrives without an invitation but fails and is humiliated. All at once, Rama lefts the bow and breaks it. Knowing it, enraged Parasurama lands at Mithila and confronts Rama. Later, he realizes he is his reincarnation and backs up. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the phenomenal wedding of Seeta & Rama.

Cast

as Lord Srirama *Tripurasundari as Goddess Seeta *

Ravana Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations. In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He a ...

Parasurama Parashurama (), also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the ''Chiranjivi, Chiranjeevis'' (Immortals), who ...

Balijepalli Lakshmikantham Balijepalli Lakshmikantha Kavi (23 December 1881 – 30 June 1953) was an Indian playwright, novelist, poet, screenwriter, actor and freedom fighter. He is remembered for the magnum opus ''Satya Harischandriyamu'', a play written in 1924, and ...

as Visvamitra *B. N. Raju as

Lakshmana Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja (). ...

*T. Venkateswarlu as

Dasaratha Dasharatha (Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of the Kosala kingdom and a scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. He ruled from this capital at Ayodhya. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. He had ...

*Parupalli Satyanarayana as

Vasishta Vasishtha ( sa, वसिष्ठ, IAST: ') is one of the oldest and most revered Vedic rishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vashistha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the ''Rigveda''. Vashishtha an ...

*Parupalli Subba Rao as

Janaka Janaka is a character who appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is an ancient Hindu king of Videha, which was located in the Mithila region. His name at birth was Sīradhvaja, and he had a brother named Kushadhvaja. His father's name was Hrasva ...

*Lanka Satyam as Wizard *Kumpatla Subba Rao as Rushi *Koteswara Rao as

Sukracharya Shukra (Sanskrit: शुक्र, IAST: ) is a Sanskrit word that means "clear" or "bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of an ancient lineage of sages who counselled Asuras in Vedic history. In medieval mythology and Hindu as ...

Kausalya Kausalya () is the senior queen-consort of Kosala in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. She is the mother of Rama, the titular hero of the epic, and the senior wife of Dasharatha, who ruled Kosala from its capital of Ayodhya. In some later acco ...

*Kamala Kotnis as

Kaikeyi Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of Kek ...

*Annapurna as

Sumitra Sumitra ( sa, सुमित्रा, IAST: Sumitrā) is a princess of Kashi in Hindu mythology. The wise Sumitra is the third queen consort of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala, who ruled from Ayodhya. She is the mother of the twins Lakshmana a ...

*Kamakshi as

Mandodari Mandodari ( sa, मंदोदरी, , lit. "soft-bellied";) was the queen consort of Ravana, the king of Lanka, according to the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. The ''Ramayana'' describes Mandodari as beautiful, pious, and righteous. She is extoll ...

*Chandrakala as

Vedavati Vedavati (Sanskrit: वेदवती, IAST: ''Vedavatī'') is the previous birth of the goddess Sita in Hindu mythology. She is an avatar of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. Legend Birth Vedavati was the daughter of Brahmarishi Kushadhva ...

*Vijaya as

Urmila Urmila () is a princess featured in the Ramayana. She is the younger sister of Sita, and the wife of Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama. Legend Urmila is the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and Queen Sunayana, and the younger sister o ...

*Sowdamini as Rambha *T. G. Kamala Devi as

Ahalya In Hinduism, Ahalyā ( sa, अहल्या, IAST: Ahalyā) also known as Ahilya, is the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi. Many Hindu scriptures say that she was seduced by Indra (the king of gods), cursed by her husband for infidelity ...

*Ratna Kumari as Maya Rakshasi *Anjanibai as Rushipatni *Baby Kumari Champa as Young Seeta *Baby Vasundhara as Young Urumi

Soundtrack

Music composed by Prabhala Satyanarayana,

Box-office

The film ran for 100 days at Durga Kala Mandir,

Vijayawada Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...

References

{{reflist 1944 films 1940s Telugu-language films Indian black-and-white films Films based on the Ramayana Films scored by Prabhala Satyanarayana Films scored by Ogirala Ramachandra Rao