Alluri Seetharama Raju

Alluri Seetarama Raju is a 1974 Telugu biographical action film directed by V. Ramachandra Rao, written by Tripuraneni Maharadhi and produced by Padmalaya Studios. Krishna plays the revolutionary Alluri Sitarama Raju, who led the Rampa Rebellion against British rule from 1922 until his capture and execution in 1924, with Vijaya Nirmala and Jaggayya. It was Krishna’s 100th film and the first Telugu film shot entirely in CinemaScope. Released on 1 May 1974, it was acclaimed, won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics and the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film, and, according to Telangana Today, was the first Telugu film to earn ₹1 crore in distributors’ share.

What the story is about

From boyhood, Alluri Rama Raju is fiercely opposed to British rule. He rejects a British education, immerses himself in yoga and travels across the country, and what he sees of ordinary people’s suffering under colonial administration convinces him that non-violence is not enough. Although he loves Sita, and their families have agreed to the match, he tells her he has chosen celibacy to give his whole life to the freedom movement; after her death he takes the name Sitarama Raju in her memory. In the forests of the agency tracts he wins over tribal leaders such as Gam Malludora and Gantam Dora and turns their people into a disciplined guerrilla force, the beginning of the Rampa Rebellion of 1922.

Cast

• Krishna as Alluri Sitarama Raju, with Ramesh Babu as the young Raju
• Vijaya Nirmala as Seeta
• Jaggayya as Rutherford and Rajanala as Major Goodall
• Gummadi as Gantam Dora and Prabhakar Reddy as Gam Malludora
• Chandra Mohan as Govindu, M. Balayya as Aggi Raju and Kanta Rao as Padalu
• Rao Gopal Rao, Allu Ramalingaiah and Pandari Bai

How it was made

According to Deccan Chronicle, D. L. Narayana, producer of Devadasu (1953), first planned a film on Sitarama Raju with Sobhan Babu, with a script by Maharadhi; when it stalled, he passed the story to Krishna, who produced it as his 100th film. Maharadhi told Telugucinema.com that N. T. Rama Rao had also considered the subject but dropped it as too dry to work commercially. S. V. Ranga Rao was cast as Gantam Dora but fell ill before shooting and was replaced. The film was shot for about 60 days in the Chintapalli and Krishnadevi Peta forests of Andhra Pradesh, plus 15 days in Madras. Ramachandra Rao died after completing a third of the film, and Krishna directed the rest, with K. S. R. Das handling the battle scenes. Cinematographer V. S. R. Swamy shot the whole film with just two lenses, using cameras and lenses brought from Kamal Amrohi, who had used them for Pakeezah (1972).

Music

P. Adinarayana Rao composed the songs. “Telugu Veera Levara”, written by Sri Sri and sung by Ghantasala and V. Ramakrishna, won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics; the soundtrack also includes “Vasthadu Naa Raju”, sung by P. Susheela.

Release, box office and reception

The film received a positive review in Andhra Patrika on 5 May 1974 and is regarded as a cult classic of Telugu cinema. It was shown at the International Film Festival of India and the Tashkent Film Festival, and in 2017 at a Patriotic Film Festival in Coimbatore marking the 70th anniversary of Independence. Telangana Today describes it as an industry hit and the first Telugu film to collect ₹1 crore in distributors’ share. Wikipedia gives its run as 175 days in one place and 200 days in another, so the exact length is uncertain.

Where to watch Alluri Seetarama Raju

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

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Alluri Seetarama Raju and the articles and review it cites, linked above; Wikidata; our own cast and crew records.