Missamma

Comedy at its best. This movie has a masterful cast at their best. I have seen this movie more than 50 times and would never pass a chance to see it again. Missamma is a well written, well acted and well made masterpiece that has to be subtitled and shown to an international audience.

Missamma, as the name suggests is the story of a dignified young woman who demands and commands respect. And respect she gets with a dose of humility, affection and love by all the other characters in the story.

Gopalam, a rich landlord in a remote village is unable to run his school, sentimentally named after his long lost eldest daughter, Mahalakshmi, due to lack of proper teachers. The school is run under the guidance of his nephew, A.K Raju, a self proclaimed detective much in the likeness of Alfred Hitchcock and Sherlock Holmes. A Musali Panthulu, pretending tutorship, makes the school his personal Ayurvedic clinic and the pupils, his unpaid apprentices.

Gopalam, in a bid to save his school from collapse, takes his wife's advice and advertises for a BA passed couple who would help in running the school by tutoring the neglected pupils. The mandate is that the couple should be married. M.T. Rao is a young graduate who is desperately searching for a job and so is Mary, a jobless music teacher who also happens to be a graduate. Mary's elderly parents are drowned in debt that they incurred from David for Mary's education and are unable to repay it because of old age. And now David has proclaimed that the debt will be waived provided Mary marries him.

M.T Rao with his vagabond sidekick Devayya read Gopalam's advertisement and now are desperately searching for a graduate wife for M.T Rao and find a match in the proud and conceited Mary. Mary instantly refuses the offer and is coaxed into it when suggested of a fake matrimony and emphasized on the good money involved, the later which she plans to repay David's debt with. She reluctantly wears a mangalasutra and a bindi both of which are against her staunch religious beliefs. The humor involved in these scenes suggests the directors vivid portrayal of social norms and taboos prevalent in Protestant Christian converts even today in India.

The couple and Devayya enter the village and take charge of the school and enter the hearts of Gopalam, his wife and his youngest daughter Sita, M.T Rao because of his humility and Mary because of her resemblance to the long lost daughter. This sparks the detective instinct of Raju who is for a long time trying to find his long lost cousin Mahalaxmi, Gopalam's daughter. He desperately tries to find Mahalakshmi's identity mole on Mary's right foot in vain not because of its absence but by pure ill luck. Mary is immediately averse to the favors showered on her and Rao by Gopalam's family which she deems as un necessary and more so by Sita's childish tantrums with Rao, which she detests and the later whom she secretly admires.

Meanwhile Devayya extracts monetary favors from Raju in return for information about the married couple using which Raju plans to find a link between Mary and Mahalakshmi. Petty quarrels between Rao and Mahalakshmi spark a mutual respect and a suppressed love. In the city David tricks Mary's parents and gets her village address and sets out to seek her. He is immediately followed by the elderly couple who realize the trick and are concerned for Mary's safety.

The final encounter happens at Gopalam's family where David exposes the false marriage and just when Gopalam and his wife are confused, enter the elderly parents of Mary to find the childhood photo of Mary in the Gopalam household. At last the mystery mole is exposed by Raju and Mahalakshmi is reunited with her long lost parents. Everyone except David is happy at the reunion and more so A.K Raju who is now elevated by the family to the status of a professional detective.

The light comedy throughout the movie gently rocks the audience. The music and songs are very informative and are melodious masterpieces. They come when words fail to explain sentiments. "Brundavani vanam andharidhi, Govindhudu andhari vaade le" meaning "the world belongs to everyone and even does the lord of lords" comes at a stage countering Mary's beliefs that Jesus is the only Lord and that Hindus are totally different from Christians. In "Raavoyi chandamaama" Rao explains his plight to the Moon God where he is in a helpless situation due to Mary's stubborn behavior.

Savitri is excellent, and is the heart and soul of the movie. With her stubborn and conceited behavior she captures the audience. Her despise of the Hindu practices draws much laughter and her helplessness in certain situations some sympathy. NTR is good and so are all the other characters. A must watch for all black and white Telugu classic fans.

Misamma (1955) : Brief Review -

NTR steals the show in this Savitri-centric evergreen rom-com. Misamma is a cleverly titled film that merges two religious references-"Miss" and "Amma"-into one, symbolizing the cultural blend at the heart of the story. The character says the title in such a way that it adds to the chaotic charm of the narrative. As with most memorable romantic comedies, Misamma thrives on chaos, misunderstandings, and charades. The central idea-of a man and a woman pretending to be a married couple for the sake of employment-is borrowed from classic Hollywood screwball comedies and carries with it the signature "happy ending" those films are known for. However, unlike Hollywood, which rarely delved into the "lost and found" child trope, Indian cinema embraced it wholeheartedly. Misamma takes one key conflict from a Hollywood narrative, layers it with the Indian lost-and-found formula, and finally blends it with the timeless trope of two people falling in love while faking a relationship. The film is titled after Savitri's character, and thematically, it does revolve around her, making it a significant role in her career. Yet, in my opinion, the movie truly belongs to NTR. He is the engine of the story-building it, driving it forward, and dominating nearly every scene. While Savitri stands strong beside him, it's NTR who answers the tough questions, sings meaningful songs, navigates conflict,, and uses his wit to solve problems. His character is one of the most complete hero roles of the 1950s-smart, charming, and deeply involved in the story. The film's storyline is simple, but it's the screenplay that makes it engaging. The comedy, situational humor, light-hearted chaos, and even the confrontations have a sweetness that lingers. The songs are beautifully composed, with lyrics that resonate deeply. Misamma is packed with delightful moments that stay with you long after the credits roll. L. V. Prasad delivered a film for generations. While it may not have pushed the boundaries of classic cinema in terms of innovation, as an entertaining rom-com, it's an evergreen gem.

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

We rarely get to see such clean comedy. The Actors bahave like characters and not like the actors themselves, which is widespread in Telugu cinema today.

It is a benchmark for comedy.

So you have a young NTR and Savitri. You have the absolutely talented Ramana Reddy. You have a delightful Relangi. And the surprise package, ANR. He was perfect as a detective who can't sing (you must hear that song).

The main theme is love and feminine jealousy. Padded with enough humor, religion, song and dance. Jamana is the kiddish girl and a good dancer.

All leading to a climax that balances everything out.

Watch the movie for Savitri.