Chakravakam

Chakravakam (named after a raga of Carnatic music) is a 1974 Telugu drama directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao and produced by D. Ramanaidu for Suresh Productions. Based on Koduri Kausalya Devi’s novel Chakravakam, it stars Sobhan Babu, Vanisri, S. V. Ranga Rao and Chandrakala, with music by K. V. Mahadevan.

What the story is about

Jagapati lives happily with his wife and three sons. The youngest, Kiran, is in love with Devarani, daughter of his father’s closest friend, Dharmarayudu. But Kiran’s sister-in-law Janaki wants him to marry her own sister Indrani and presses her father Nageswaraiah to arrange it. Meanwhile the village has been collecting money to build a dam against the floods that keep ravaging it. When floods hit Jagapati’s house, Dharmarayudu takes in the whole family; then the dam fund is stolen, and Dharmarayudu is forced to sell his house and leave the village. With the two families pulled apart, and Janaki determined to sour Kiran’s romance, the film follows Kiran and Devarani through the misunderstandings and losses that follow.

Cast and crew

• Sobhan Babu as Kiran
• Vanisri as Devarani
• S. V. Ranga Rao as Dharma Rayudu
• Nagabhushanam as Jagapati and G. Varalakshmi as his wife Kamala
• Rajasulochana as Janaki and Allu Ramalingaiah as Nageswaraiah
• Chandrakala as Indrani and Sreedhar as Diwakar
• Anjali Devi, Krishna Kumari, Padmanabham and Raja Babu

Director: V. Madhusudhana Rao. Producer: D. Ramanaidu. Music: K. V. Mahadevan. Based on the novel by Koduri Kausalya Devi.

Songs and trivia

The songs include “Veenaleni Teeganu Neevuleni Bratukunu” and “Ee Nadila Naa Hrudayam Parugulu Teestundi”, sung by V. Ramakrishna and P. Susheela. According to Wikipedia, director V. Madhusudhana Rao himself played the small role of Rayalu the boatman in the climax after the assistant director first cast in it did not satisfy him.

Box office

Wikipedia says the film ran for 200 days in Hyderabad, citing a Sobhan Babu fan website’s list of the star’s hits rather than a trade or press source, so treat that as unconfirmed.

Where to watch Chakravakam

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

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Chakravakam (1974); our own cast and crew records.