Rajendrudu Gajendrudu

Rajendrudu Gajendrudu is a 1993 Telugu comedy directed by S. V. Krishna Reddy, who also composed its music. Rajendra Prasad and Soundarya play the leads, but the title’s second hero is an elephant: the film is about an elephant taking revenge on the killers of its former owner with the help of an unemployed man. K. Achi Reddy produced it under Manisha Films, presented by Kishore Rathi. It was released on 4 February 1993 and runs 152 minutes.

What the story is about

In a forest, an officer raises an elephant named Gajendra almost as his own child. When the officer gets in the way of a big-time poacher, the poacher kills him, and Gajendra sees it happen. In the city, meanwhile, the quick-witted Rajendra and his sidekick Gundu live by their wits, dodging the rent owed to their miserly landlord Kotilingam, whose daughter Alaka has just arrived and taken an instant dislike to Rajendra. Rajendra has a habit of buying lottery tickets, and when Gundu announces that he has won the bumper prize, it turns out to be an elephant: Gajendra. Reluctantly keeping him as a mascot, Rajendra starts dreaming up schemes to make money from him, and the film follows the pair’s adventures until the past catches up with Gajendra.

Cast and crew

• Rajendra Prasad as Rajendra
• Soundarya as Alaka
• Kota Srinivasa Rao as Kotilingam and Sri Lakshmi as his wife
• Gundu Hanumantha Rao as Gundu
• Gummadi as the forest officer, Gajendra’s first master
• Brahmanandam as the bank manager, Mallikarjuna Rao as Murugan, Babu Mohan as a seller and Ali as Chata
• Ironleg Sastri, Gautam Raju, Narsing Yadav and Jayalalita in supporting roles

Director and music: S. V. Krishna Reddy. Producer: K. Achi Reddy (Manisha Films).

Behind the film and legacy

The elephant was given special training before shooting began. Ali’s comic Malayalam lines as Chata, built around the words “Katravalli” and “Chaata”, became popular. The film was later remade in Hindi as Jodidar, with Mithun Chakraborty.

Wikipedia describes Rajendrudu Gajendrudu as a blockbuster, but gives no source or figures for it, so treat that as Wikipedia’s claim.

Where to watch Rajendrudu Gajendrudu

We do not have a confirmed streaming listing for Rajendrudu Gajendrudu on file. If we verify one with a platform, it will appear on this page.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Rajendrudu Gajendrudu; our own cast and crew records.