''Dharma Patni'' or ''Dharmapatni'' ( Wife) is a 1941 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

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

produced and directed by

P. Pullayya P. Pullayya (also spelled P. Pullaiah; 1911–1985) was an Indian film director and producer known for his work in Telugu films. He was the recipient of Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for his contributions to Telugu cinema. Personal life Pullayya m ...

under the Famous Films banner. It stars

Santha Kumari Santha Kumari (born Vellaala Subbamma; 17 May 1920 – 16 January 2006) was an Indian musical artist and actress. She was married to the Telugu film director and producer P. Pullayya. Early years Vellaala Subbamma was born in Proddatur town, ...

, Bhanumathi, Uppuluri Hanumantha Rao and C. Hemalatha. The film marks the debut of

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 ...

, who played a minor role as one of the ten school children in a song sequence, and also that of the writer

Chakrapani Chakrapani may refer to: People with the surname * Aluri Chakrapani (1908–1975), Indian film multilingual writer, producer and director * Chuck Chakrapani, Indian research methodologist, educator, and author * M. G. Chakrapani (1911–1986), I ...

. The film was shot at Shalini Cinetone Studios,

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is ...

. Most of the technicians including cinematographer S. K. Pai, music director Annasaheb Mainkar, art director H. S. Gang Naik and editor Baburao Barodkar were from Maharashtra. The film was a commercial success.

Plot

Five-year-old Radha's dying mother hands the custody of Radha to the devadasi Sridevi, who promises henceforth she would lead a pure life. Sridevi teaches the child the virtues of a housewife. In the school, Radha befriends Mohan and as they grow, love blossoms between Radha and Mohan. Mohan takes her to the temple and pledges before the deity that she shall be his wife. The lecherous Ananda Rao informs Mohan's father that his son was seeing the daughter of a harlot Sridevi. Mohan's father forces his son to marry Uma from a rich family. Uma traces Mohan's disinterest in her to Radha and leaves him. Leela, a victim of Ananda Rao saves Uma from Rao's trap. Ananda Rao murders Leela and implicates Mohan. Radha, in order to save Mohan, decides to meet Ananda Rao, who assures her he had the evidence to prove Mohan's innocence. Finally, truth gets out and Mohan is saved from the gallows. His parents accept Radha. Uma realizes her folly and unites with Mohan.

Cast

* Bhanumathi as Uma *

as Radha * Uppaluri Hanumantha Rao as Mohan * C. Hemalatha * Rallabandi Kutumba Rao as Ananda Rao * K. Lakshmi Narasimha Rao * Achari * Adinarayanayya as Mohan's father * Peddapuram Raju as Sridevi * Chalapathi Rao * Narimani * Susheela * Master Kumar as Child Mohan * Baby Lakshmi as Child Radha *

Crew

*Art: H. S. Gang Naik *Dialogues:

*Lyrics:

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 ...

, Daita Gopalam *Playback: Bhanumathi Ramakrishna *Music: Timir Baran, Annasaheb Mainkar *Story:

V. S. Khandekar Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (11 January 1898 – 2 September 1976) was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He was the first Marathi author to win the prestigious Jnanpith Award. Early life Khandekar was born on 11 January 1898 in S ...

*Editing: Baburao Barodkar *Cinematography: S. K. Pai *Presenter:

*Screenplay - Producer - Director:

*Banner: Famous Films *Release Date: 10 January 1941

Production

Development

When

decided to make his first drama film, his friends from the

Marathi film industry Marathi cinema is an Indian film industry of Marathi-language motion pictures. It is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Based in old Mumbai, it is the oldest film industry of Indian cinema. The first Marathi film to be released in India was ''Sh ...

and his partner at Famous Films, Shiraz Ali suggested the works of popular

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

writer

Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar (11 January 1898 – 2 September 1976) was a Marathi writer from Maharashtra, India. He was the first Marathi author to win the prestigious Jnanpith Award. Early life Khandekar was born on 11 January 1898 in Sa ...

. Pullayya picked up ''Dharmapathni'' from Khandekar's stories and wrote a scenario.

Cast and crew

Pullayya took his wife

Santhakumari Santha Kumari (born Vellaala Subbamma; 17 May 1920 – 16 January 2006) was an Indian musical artist and actress. She was married to the Telugu film director and producer P. Pullayya. Early years Vellaala Subbamma was born in Proddatur town, ...

for 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 ...

and after watching ''

Vara Vikrayam ''Vara Vikrayam'' ( te, వర విక్రయం) is a famous novel and play with same name by Kallakoori Narayana Rao. It is based on a reformist social theme about the Dowry system prevalent in India. Main characters * Purushotham Rao, Re ...

'' (1939), he felt that Bhanumathi suited for the second heroine Uma's character, as Uma was as assertive and modern thinking like Bhanumathi’s character from ''Vara Vikrayam.'' For the male lead, Hanumantha Rao, son of popular stage actor Uppuluri Sanjeeva Rao was signed. He later acted two more movies, ''Bheeshma Pratigna'' and ''Vandemataram'' before settling down as a Municipal Health Officer in Bhimavaram. ''Dharmapathni'' also marked the debut of one of Telugu cinema's later day doyen

in a small role. Nageswara Rao's brother Ramabrahmam took him to Kolhapur hoping he would get the male lead's childhood character. Since Nageswara Rao was too old for the role, Pullayya signed him as one of the ten school children for the song sequence "Anandamayega mana Mohanudu".

Viswanatha Satyanarayana Viswanatha Satyanarayana (10 September 1885 – 18 October 1976) was a 20th-century Telugu writer. His works included poetry, novels, dramatic play, short stories and speeches, covering a wide range of subjects such as analysis of his ...

was initially signed to write the dialogues. But since they were too grammatical,

, then already popular for his Telugu translations of Bengali writer

Sarat Chandra Chatterjee Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, alternatively spelt as Sarat Chandra Chatterjee ( bn, শরৎচন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায়; 15 September 1876 or ৩১ শে ভাদ্র ১২৮৩ বঙ্গাব্দ � ...

's works, was hired. Most of the technicians were from Maharashtra cinematographer S. K. Pai, music director Annasaheb Mainkar, art director H. S. Gang Naik and editor Baburao Barodkar.

Filming

The film was shot at Shalini Cinetone Studios,

Songs

Music was composed by Annasaheb Mainkar. Lyrics were written by Daita Gopalam. * "Anuraagam Leka Anandamunda" (Lyrics: Daita Gopalam; Singer: P. Bhanumathi) * "Nilu Niluma Neelavarnaa" (Lyrics:

; Singer: P. Bhanumathi)

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 0255925 1940s Telugu-language films 1941 films Indian black-and-white films Films directed by P. Pullayya Indian drama films 1941 drama films Films scored by Annasaheb Mainkar Films scored by Timir Baran