Anthuleni Katha

Anthuleni Katha (meaning “Never Ending Story”) is a 1976 Telugu drama written and directed by K. Balachander and produced by Rama Arangannal under Andal Productions. Jaya Prada plays the lead in her first starring role, with Rajinikanth, Sripriya and Phataphat Jayalaxmi in supporting roles and Kamal Haasan in a cameo. M. S. Viswanathan composed the music. Released on 27 February 1976, it is a remake of Balachander’s own 1974 Tamil film Aval Oru Thodar Kathai, and is often counted among Jaya Prada’s best films.

What the story is about

Saritha is a working woman who is the only steady earner in a poor household. Her father has abandoned the family to go on a pilgrimage, and she supports her mother, a widowed sister, an unmarried sister, a blind younger brother and her elder brother Murthy, a drunkard who not only shirks responsibility for his own wife and children but keeps creating new problems for her. Saritha has a long-time boyfriend who wants to marry her, but she keeps putting him off because the family cannot manage without her. The film follows what that sense of duty costs her.

Cast

• Jaya Prada as Saritha
• Rajinikanth as her brother Murthy
• Sripriya as Bharathi and Phataphat Jayalaxmi as Saritha’s friend Chandra
• G. V. Narayana Rao as Vikatakavi Gopal and Prasad Babu as Thilak
• M. Jayashree as Saritha’s mother, Sudha as Sumathi and Pradeep Shakthi as a conductor
• Kamal Haasan as Arun Ghosh (cameo)

Making the film

Both the Tamil original and this Telugu version were produced by Rama Arangannal and directed by Balachander. Jaya Prada took over the role Sujatha had played in Tamil, while Sripriya and Phataphat Jayalaxmi reprised their own roles from the original. It was the Telugu acting debut of both Rajinikanth, in what is described as his first major role, and Kamal Haasan, who played Saritha’s boss in a cameo; the role Kamal Haasan had played in the Tamil version went to Narayana Rao. Indoor scenes were shot at Neptune Studios and outdoor scenes in Visakhapatnam.

Music

M. S. Viswanathan composed the songs, all written by Acharya Aatreya. They include “Kallalo Unnadedo Kannulake Telusu” sung by S. Janaki and “Ugutundu Nee Inta Uyyala” sung by P. Susheela, both picturised on Jaya Prada; “Devude Icchadu Vidhi Okkati” sung by Yesudas for Rajinikanth; “Tali Kattu Subhavela” sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam; and “Are Emiti Lokam” sung by L. R. Eswari.

Awards and legacy

The film won the Nandi Award for Third Best Feature Film (Bronze) for Rama Arangannal, and Jaya Prada received a Filmfare Special Award (South). In 2001 Jaya Prada said the film had an impact on her personal life because she related so closely to Saritha. Wikipedia’s article does not record its box-office performance or contemporary reviews, so we do not characterise either.

Where to watch Anthuleni Katha

We do not have a confirmed streaming platform for Anthuleni Katha on file. The OTT details on this page will be updated when a platform’s own listing confirms it.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Anthuleni Katha; Wikidata; our own cast and crew records.