Shankarabaranam, Sagara Sangamam, Swayam Krushi, Sitaara – hearing these movie names give you some sort of warmth within. It could be respect, love or pride that they are great movies of Telugu cinema. One man behind all these movies is the Late Edida Nageswar Rao. He is the pioneer of art cinema in Telugu. This passionate film-maker produced just 10 movies, 9 of which stand out as classics. Classics which act as reference to many film-makers even now.
Here are those gems you should give a watch. They are definitely worth it!
SIRI SIRI MUVVA
The journey of a mute girl (Hyma) who is passionate about dancing and an orphan (Sambayya) who helps her in making her career and how she in turns helps him and takes care of her family earning through dancing.
TAYARAMMA BANGARAYYA
The film is about a couple Tayaramma (Janaki) and Bangarayya (Satyanarayana). They try to repair the marriages of young couples as their humanitarian work to the society.
SHANKARABARANAM
Defines one of the best relationship between a music teacher and his disciple, who is the daughter of a prostitute and the glitches involved in the society’s perception of their relationship.
SEETHAKOKA CHILUKA
A love story of a Christian girl who is interested in learning music. She falls in love with Raghu when she goes to learn music at Raghu’s home. How they overcome all the hurdles with their love form the rest part of the story.
SAGARA SANGAMAM
It’s a story of a talented classical dancer, Balu. His journey of becoming a successful dancer, and how he later falls for a rich divorcee woman. Situations lead them to part and how the divorcee revives Balu’s passion for art and dance by asking him to teach her daughter forms rest of the story.
SITAARA
A professional photographer (Devdas) meets a women (Sitaara) on a train. On seeing that she has a great scope to be a model, he decides to make her a big star. But, what’s unknown to Devdas is her dark past where she had a failed love story with Suman. Devdas, though has feelings for Sitaara finally decides to unite the couple to make a happy ending.
SWATHI MUTHYAM
A touching love story of an innocent guy (Shivaiah) who marries a widow (Lalitha) during a festival celebration. The whole village is shocked and demeans the two for they consider re-marrying a widow as uncustomary. Rest of the story is how Lalitha makes Shivaiah understand and learn the responsibilities of a household, and how they create a successful family.
SWAYAMKRUSHI
A movie that shows hard work is the only stepping stone to success.
APADBHANDAVUDU
This is a story of a lower-class cowherd Madhava and the rich girl Hema. In a rape attempt by Hema’s brother-in-law, she loses her mental stability and is admitted into an asylum. Madhava joins the asylum in order to help her to get back her memory. How Madhava achieves this through his various acts and finally wins her love too forms the remaining story.
