Dharma Patni

Dharma Patni (meaning “Wife”) is a 1941 Telugu drama produced and directed by P. Pullayya under Famous Films, adapted from a story by the Marathi writer Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar. Santha Kumari and P. Bhanumathi star with Uppuluri Hanumantha Rao and C. Hemalatha, and Annasaheb Mainkar composed the music. It is remembered as the screen debut of Akkineni Nageswara Rao, in a tiny role as a schoolboy, and of the writer Chakrapani. According to The Hindu, it was a commercial success.

What the story is about

As she lies dying, five-year-old Radha’s mother hands her over to Sridevi, a devadasi, who promises to lead a pure life from then on and raises the girl in the virtues of a good housewife. At school Radha befriends Mohan, and as they grow up the two fall in love; Mohan takes her to the temple and vows before the deity that she will be his wife. But the lecherous Ananda Rao tells Mohan’s father that his son is seeing the daughter of a courtesan, and the father forces Mohan to marry Uma, a girl from a rich family, setting all three on a collision course.

Cast

• Santha Kumari as Radha
• P. Bhanumathi as Uma
• Uppuluri Hanumantha Rao as Mohan
• Rallabandi Kutumba Rao as Ananda Rao
• Peddapuram Raju as Sridevi and Adinarayanayya as Mohan’s father
• C. Hemalatha
• Akkineni Nageswara Rao in a small role as a schoolboy

How it was made

When P. Pullayya decided to make his first drama film, his partner at Famous Films, Shiraz Ali, and friends in Marathi cinema suggested Khandekar’s work, and he chose Dharmapathni, as The Hindu recounts. Pullayya cast his wife, Santha Kumari, as Radha, and chose Bhanumathi for Uma after seeing her assertive, modern character in Vara Vikrayam (1939). Hanumantha Rao, son of the stage actor Uppuluri Sanjeeva Rao, played Mohan. Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s brother had brought him to Kolhapur hoping he would play the young Mohan; he was too old for it, so Pullayya cast him as one of ten schoolchildren in the song “Anandamayega mana Mohanudu”. Viswanatha Satyanarayana’s dialogue was judged too formal and Chakrapani, known for his Telugu translations of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, was brought in instead. The film was shot at Shalini Cinetone Studios in Kolhapur, with a largely Maharashtrian crew, including cinematographer S. K. Pai, art director H. S. Gang Naik and editor Baburao Barodkar.

Music

Annasaheb Mainkar composed the songs, with lyrics mainly by Daita Gopalam. Bhanumathi sang “Anuraagam Leka Anandamunda” and “Nilu Niluma Neelavarnaa”, the latter written by Balijepalli Lakshmikantham.

Where to watch Dharma Patni

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

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Dharma Patni and the article it cites, linked above; Wikidata; our own cast and crew records.