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Thodi Kodallu
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Adurthi Subba Rao
Screenplay by	Adurthi Subba Rao D. Madhusudhana Rao Acharya Aatreya
Based on	Nishkruti by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Produced by	D. Madhusudhana Rao
Starring	Akkineni Nageswara Rao Savitri
Cinematography	P. S. Selvaraj
Edited by	Adurthi Subba Rao
Music by	Master Venu
Production company	Annapurna Pictures
Distributed by	Navayuga Films
Release dates	11 January 1957 (1957-01-11) (Telugu) 1 February 1957 (1957-02-01) (Tamil)
Running time	182 minutes
Country	India
Languages	Telugu Tamil

Thodi Kodallu (transl. Sisters-in-law) is a 1957 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed and edited by Adurthi Subba Rao who co-wrote the script with D. Madhusudhana Rao and Acharya Aatreya. Madhusudhana Rao produced the film under Annapurna Pictures. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Savitri, with music composed by Master Venu. The film is based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Bengali novel Nishkriti, and was simultaneously made as the Tamil film Engal Veettu Mahalakshmi (1957); both films were made simultaneously by the same banner and director, and some of the scenes and artists are the same in both versions. Thodi Kodallu won the Certificate of merit for Best Feature Film in Telugu.

Plot

The film begins with a wealthy, conjoined joint family. Advocate Kutumba Rao is his paterfamilias, an introvert & oblivious. He resides with his wife Annapurna and their progeny. Ramanaiah, his younger brother, looks after their farms in the village with his virago wife, Anasuya. Besides, Kutumba Rao raises his cousin Satyam, an idealist who knits benevolent Susheela, and they have a son, Babu. Annapurna & Susheela share more than just a relationship. Annapurna is very fond of Babu, whom she rears above her own. Since she is ailing, Susheela takes up the family tasks and operates them disciplinarily.

After civilizing, Satyam was appointed in their rice mill, led by his venomous distant relative Vaikuntam. Soon, he resigned, being unable to tolerate fraud therein. On the eve of Dasara, they invite Ramanaiah's family when Anasuya envies Susheela's esteem. Ergo, she slowly sows vicious seeds in Annapurna, creating a rift that makes Satyam's family quit, and they walk to the village. Now, Anasuya clutches the household authority and usurps the entire wealth. Parallelly, Vaikuntam entraps Ramanaiah via his amour Navaneetam and addicts him to all vices.

Following his ideals, Satyam cultivates barren lands with Susheela, associates with all the jobless peasants, and conducts communal agriculture. Besides, Ramanaiah & Vaikuntam spoiled the total heisted by Anasuya. They also snatched the amount of a client, Tirupataiah, by forging Kutumba Rao’s signature, which is about to be claimed. After learning it, Satyam clears it by mortgaging Susheela’s jewelry to shield his brother’s honor and handing over the counterfeited document.

Meanwhile, Anasuya’s intrigues break out when Annapurna becomes angry and collapses, making Anasuya reform. It is time for harvest when Ramanaiah & Vaikuntam plot to grab it on behalf of Kutumba Rao. Satyam hinders it, and the government seizes the crop when he summons Kutumba Rao. Being incognizant of the fact, enraged Kutumba Rao heads to the village, where he rebukes and is about to neck out Satyam. Simultaneously, Ramanaiah & Vaikuntam covetously try to destroy the proof but are caught. At that point, Kutumba Rao comprehends the virtues of Satyam & Susheela, welcomes them back, and permanently allocates their lands to the farmers. At last, they return home when Ramanaiah’s family is to exit, and Susheela changes their intention. Finally, the movie ends happily with the family’s reunion.

Cast

Telugu cast

• Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Satyam
• Savitri as Susheela
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Kutumba Rao
• Relangi as Ramanaiah
• Jaggayya as Vaikuntham
• Chadalavada as Tirupataiah
• Allu Ramalingaiah as Ayomayam
• P. Kannamba as Annapurna
• Suryakantam as Anasuya
• Rajasulochana as Navaneetam
• Parvati as Kamala
• Kameswaramma
• Master Kundu
• Master Sharat Babu as Babu
• Rood, the dog

Tamil cast

• Savithri as Susheela
• A. Nageswara Rao as Gopu
• Kannamba as Annapoorna
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Lawyer Ganapathi
• M. S. Sundari Bai as Anusooya
• K. A. Thangavelu as Subbu
• P. Rajasulochana as Sanjala
• M. N. Nambiar Vaikuntam
• Ezhumalai as Thirupathi
• Root the dog
• Sarathbabu
• Sampath
• Angamuthu
• Santhanam
• Master Kunthu
• Seshagiri Rao
• Subba Rao
• Master Krishnamoorthi
• Ramakrishnan
• Parvathi as Kamala

Dance

• E. V. Saroja
• A. K. Chopra
• Nataraja Dance School Girls

Production

After the success of Donga Ramudu, its producer D. Madhusudhana Rao wanted to continue its success streak by again collaborating with Nageswara Rao and wanted K. V. Reddy to direct the film. However Reddy was busy with prior commitments and suggested Adurthi Subba Rao as director. However Nageswara Rao claimed it was he who suggested the name of Subba Rao as the director.

Being an avid fan of literature, Madhusudhana Rao bought the rights of the Bengali short novel Nishkriti by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. He wrote the screenplay along with Acharya Athreya and Subbarao by retaining the major characters and situations from the original novel while also making changes to suit local sensibilities by bringing changes such as changing character of second brother from lawyer to caretaker of agriculture fields. The film was simultaneously made in Tamil as Enga Veettu Mahalakshmi with the same lead actors and slightly different supporting cast such as Thangavelu and Nambiar replacing Relangi and Jaggayya. Atreya and Sridhar wrote the dialogues for Telugu and Tamil versions respectively. Most of the filming was held at Janapastram, a village near Gudur.

Soundtrack

Music was composed by Master Venu.

Telugu Track List

Tamil Track List

Awards

At the 5th National Film Awards, Thodi Kodallu won the Certificate of Merit for Second Best Feature Film in Telugu

Release

Both Thodi Kodallu and Enga Veettu Mahalakshmi became commercially successful and ran for hundred days in five centres.

Notes

1. Aatreya is also credited for dialogues.

References

1. "Engal Veettu Mahalakshmi". The Indian Express. 1 February 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 4 January 2022 – via Google News Archive.
2. ^ Narasimham, M. L. (19 February 2015). "Blast from the past: Todikodallu (1957)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
3. ^ Palakodety (24 December 2005). "Nostalgia - Thodi Kodallu". Cinegoer. Archived from the original on 10 January 2006. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
4. Neelamegam, G. (December 2014). Thiraikalanjiyam — Part 1 (in Tamil) (1st ed.). Chennai: Manivasagar Publishers. p. 123.
5. "State Awards for Films" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 April 1958. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2011.

External links

• Thodi Kodallu at IMDb 

• 1957 films
• 1950s Indian films
• 1950s multilingual films
• 1950s Tamil-language films
• 1950s Telugu-language films
• Best Telugu Feature Film National Film Award winners
• Films based on Bengali novels
• Films based on works by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
• Films directed by Adurthi Subba Rao
• Films scored by Master Venu
• Indian black-and-white films
• Indian multilingual films
• Tamil-language Indian films