‘Rythubidda’, the pathbreaking Telugu movie on the peasant uprising, turns 80

Magazine editor-turned-filmmaker Gudavalli Ramabrahmam directed the film in 1939

Pioneering movie (clockwise) Gidugu Sitapatthi (sitting) and BNR standing behind him in a movie still; Gudavalli Ramabrahmam, T Suryakumari By arrangement

It was a socio-economic issue faced by many nations. The plight of the peasants turned into the Farmers’ Movement in the USA during the later half of the 19th century. Besides fighting for their basic rights, the peasants demanded political empowerment too. And in India, the debt ridden and impoverished peasantry had for the first time risen against their oppressors, the zamindars, in 1929 in Bihar led by Swami Sahajanand Saraswati. That movement later spread to several provinces in the country, took a national shape in the 1936 Indian National Congress session held at Lucknow, with the formation of All India Kisan Sabha. Swami Sahajanand Saraswati was elected as its first President. Perhaps these developments on the farmers’ front influenced the Praja Mitra magazine editor-turned-filmmaker Gudavalli Ramabrahmam to make a feature film in Telugu on the peasant uprising, titled, Rythubidda (1939).

Ramabrahmam was no stranger to taking path-breaking stories to celluloid. The previous year he had directed Malapilla which dealt with the uplift of Harijans. The movie’s box office success empowered him to attempt yet another trendsetter on a contemporary social issue for which he had written the story. The dialogues for Rythubidda were written by Tapi Dharma Rao, Tripuraneni Gopichand and Viswanatha Kaviraju. It was Gopichand’s debut movie. It is interesting to note that he had also worked as an assistant director.

Pioneering movie (clockwise) Gidugu Sitapatthi (sitting) and BNR standing behind him in a movie still; Gudavalli Ramabrahmam, T Suryakumari By arrangement

Story

The story is set in Nagapuram village. To put an end to the atrocities committed by the zamindar, a commoner Rami Reddy contests the elections representing the peasants. He has the support of Narsi Reddy who commands a good amount of respect from the farmers. The zamindar’s manoeuvres to thwart Rami Reddy from contesting against his chosen candidate fail. When even his trusted lieutenants, the

shavukar, karanam and the tahsildar join hands with Narsi Reddy, the zamindar falls in line and is a reformed man.

Ramabrahmam chose Bellary Raghava and Gidugu Seethapathi Rao to play Narsi Reddy and the zamindar respectively. The stage stalwarts were brilliant in their screen role too. He invited his friend Kosaraju Raghavaiah Chowdhary to Madras and to films not only to write the lyrics but also to don the role of Rami Reddy. Another find of the movie was the later day ‘Ms. Madras’ Tanguturi Suryakumari, who played the role of Narsi Reddy’s daughter. Though she had by then acted in a couple of Tamil movies,

Rythubidda was her first Telugu film. The song she has rendered in the movie, Basavaraju Apparao’s lyrics, ‘

Raaboku Raabokuraa Chanduroodaa ...’ was a sensational hit hummed by every film music lover of the time. It was tuned by Bheemavarapu Narasimha Rao (BNR) who also acted in the movie as Khasa Subbanna, the zamindar’s reliable servant.

Rythubidda also launched the movie career of (art director) Madhavapeddi Gokhale who worked as an assistant to the film’s art director Adusumilli Basavaiah Chowdhary.

Reactions

Ramabrahmam filmed the movie under the Sarathi Films banner at the Motion Pictures Producers Combine studios (later Gemini Studios) which at that time came under his management. Due credit must be given to the progressive thinking zamindar Challapalli Raja Srimanthu Yarlagadda Sivarama Prasad for agreeing to produce the movie which went against his own clan. However, the then zamindars of Venkatagiri were greatly offended by the film’s content and sought a ban. They even burnt the film prints resulting in clashes. The Nellore District Magistrate imposed a ban on its screening. Interestingly, a similar ban was imposed in the film producer’s native Krishna District. Barring these two districts, the movie was released in the rest of the Telugu country on August 27, 1939. The print is available with the National Film Archives, Pune and on the Internet.

Eighty years on, the plight of the peasants continues, although their fight now is on different issues plaguing them. Rythubidda set the tone for the farmers’ cause. And it is being remembered today as the pioneering movie in that genre.

The Vizag Film Society is celebrating the 80 years of Rythubidda on August 27 with the screening of the movie at Visakha Public Library.