Bhakta Prahlada (1932 film)

Bhakta Prahlada (transl. Prahlada, the devotee) is the first Telugu-language full length sound film, based on Prahlada and Narasimha in Hindu mythology. It is made by H. M. Reddy, a pioneer of the Indian film industry. No print of the film is known to survive, making it a lost film.[1]

Bhakta Prahlada
Poster
Directed byH. M. Reddy
C. S. R.
L. V. Prasad
(assistant director)
Produced byArdeshir Irani
Written bySurabhi Nataka
Dialogues:
Dharmavaram Ramakrishnamacharyulu
Music byH. R. Padmanabha Sastri
Lyrics:
Chandala Kesavadasu
CinematographyAdi Irani
Camera – Govardhanabai Patel
Production
company
Imperial Studios, Bombay
Distributed byKrishna Movies
Release date
  • 1932 (1932)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu

History
A still from the film

Ardeshir Irani was planning to make the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara in Hindi in 1931. H. M. Reddy was assistant director for that film and made the first south Indian talkie in Telugu on the same sets.

The very famous theater group in Andhra Pradesh, ‘Surabhi’ had various performances of the play ‘Bhakta Prahlada’, which was written by the great playwright and ‘Andhranataka Pitamaha’ Dharmavarapu Ramakrishnacharyulu. H. M. Reddy sought to cast them in film and brought the entire drama team to Bombay under the supervision of C.S.R. Anjaneyulu.

In addition to reusing some dialogues and poems of the drama, H.M. Reddy made Chandala Kesavadasu to pen new songs. The great poet Kesavadasu, thus remains in the history of Telugu Cinema to have penned its first song.

Cast

B. V. Subbarao, Chitrapu Narasimha Rao, and Master Krishna play supporting roles.

Release
"After scouting for evidence in libraries in Chennai, Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai, I finally stumbled upon ‘The Bombay Government Gazette -Part I’ (page no.:313) dated 4 February 1932 at the National Film Archives, Pune, which had the dates of films produced and censored in Bombay.

The censor date of Bhaktha Prahlada was given in it as 22 January 1932. The Bombay Chronicle carried an advertisement on 31 January 1932 that the film would be released soon. And it was released on 6 February 1932 at Krishna Cinema on New Charlie Road, Bombay. The Times of India carried a review of the film on the same day of its release as preview show was held before its release. Subsequently, it was released in Andhra and then on 2 April 1932 at the National Picture Palace (later renamed as Broadway Talkies), Madras. All this clearly proves that Bhaktha Prahlada was released only in 1932."

 — Film historian Rentala Jayadeva proving the release date of Bhakta Prahlada[2]

The release of the film which is the first Telugu talkie, was generally considered to have released on 15 September 1931[3][4][5][6] but it was eventually revealed to have been released on 6 February 1932.[2][7][8][9][10]

See also

References
  1. Narasimham, M. l (24 October 2010). "Bhaktha Prahlada 1931". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  2. Narasimham, M.L. (9 September 2012). "Wake up, industry". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  3. Rau 1995, p. 390.
  4. "TimesofIndia News". The Times Of India.
  5. "Limca book of Records". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  6. "IBN News".
  7. "'Bhaktha Prahladha': First Telugu talkie completes 81 years". CNN-IBN. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  8. "Telugu Cinema turns a grand 82!". The Hans India. 7 February 2013. p. 10. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  9. The Bombay Government Gazette – Part I. Bombay: Government of Bombay. 4 February 1932. p. 313.
  10. Jayadeva, Rentala (2010). Rentala Kavitvam-Samajika Drikpatham (Ph.D.). University of Madras.

Sources
  • Rau, Komarraju Venkata Lakshmana (1995), History and culture of the Andhras, Telugu University (Hyderabad, India).

Movie info:: https://web.archive.org/web/20141109221312/http://www.tollywoodtimes.com/en/movie/review/Bhakta-Prahalada-1932/3vom1zpkkk

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