Released · Telugu film · 1988
Daasi
దాసి
Daasi release date: 26 June 1988 (theatres). Directed by B. Narsing Rao; starring Archana and Bhoopal Reddy.
- Film release
- 26 June 1988 · All 1988 films
- Director
- B. Narsing Rao
- Producer
- B. Narsing Rao
- Writing credits
- K. N. T. Sastry, B. Narsing Rao
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Language
- Telugu
OTT release
No streaming platform is on file for this film.
Film release: 26 June 1988 · all 1988 Telugu films.
Source: the film’s Wikipedia article, checked 25 September 2026. It does not name a streaming platform or date; this page says so rather than guessing.
Daasi (meaning “A Bonded Woman”) is a 1988 Telugu drama written and directed by B. Narsing Rao, starring Archana in the title role of Kamalakshi. Released on 26 June 1988 with a running time of 94 minutes, it won five National Film Awards, including Best Feature Film in Telugu and Best Actress for Archana, and a Diploma of Merit at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival in 1989.
What the story is about
The film is set in the Telangana region of Hyderabad State in the 1920s. Kamalakshi, known simply as the daasi, has been sold by her own family to serve a wealthy landowning couple. She is expected to do every imaginable chore in their house, and also to be at the sexual disposal of the master of the house, the dora, and his guests at any hour. The film follows her life inside that household, and what happens when she becomes pregnant and hopes to keep the child.
Cast
- Archana as Kamalakshi
- Bhoopal Reddy
- Roopa
- Ananda Chakrapani as Bavamaridi
Awards and festivals
At the 36th National Film Awards, Daasi won Best Feature Film in Telugu for B. Narsing Rao. The jury cited it “for portraying the grim reality of a feudal milieu through original and rare use of film language”. It won four more National Awards:
- Best Actress – Archana
- Best Cinematography – Apurba Kishore Bir
- Best Costume Design – “Daasi” Sudarshan
- Best Art Direction – T. Vaikundham
It received the Diploma of Merit at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival in 1989 and was later shown in the Indian Panorama section of the 12th International Film Festival of India. Wikipedia’s article does not record its box-office performance or contemporary reviews, so we do not characterise either.
Where to watch Daasi
We do not have a confirmed streaming platform for Daasi on file. The OTT details on this page will be updated when a platform’s own listing confirms it.
Sources: the Wikipedia article on Daasi; Wikidata; our own cast and crew records.
Cast of Daasi (1988)
- Archana as Kamakshi
- Bhoopal Reddy
Additional cast
Further acting credits recorded for this film; voice-only and dubbing credits are excluded.
Character names as listed on TMDB, checked 10 Oct 2026.
Source record: Q5207393 on Wikidata. Dates are those on record and can change; this is not a studio announcement. Spotted an error? Send a correction.