Pelli Chesi Choodu (1952):
Brief Review -
An early family comedy-drama on the dowry system by L. V. Prasad that has all the entertaining ingredients. Many Hindi audiences are familiar with Jeetendra and Rekha's Shaadi Ke Baad (1972), so let me tell you-that was a remake of this L. V. Prasad comedy satire. Made in the early '50s, Pelli Chesi Choodu creates a chaotic yet entertaining atmosphere around a serious topic like dowry and societal inequality. The film focuses on Venkat and Ammadu's marriage, which is abandoned during the wedding ceremony due to a lack of dowry. Venkat's father cancels the marriage because there is no dowry, leaving Ammadu and her family shattered. She attempts suicide but is saved in time. Guilty and still in love with Ammadu, Venkat then lives with her secretly, and they even have a child. To keep their marriage hidden from his father and society, Venkat and Ammadu put on an act-Venkat pretends to be mentally ill, and Ammadu plays his nurse. Will this charade last when Venkat's father is planning a new marriage for his son? NTR appears a little late, and his entry scene isn't heroic at all. However, he gets all the hero-driven elements eventually. Comedy, music, romance, drama, and emotional scenes-he gets to do all of it. Yandamuri Joga and Gade Balakrishna have substantial roles, and they are simply amazing. They entertain you like anything. G. Varalakshmi plays a central character with simplicity and portrays the typical obedient girl from a middle-class family with grace. Savitri has a smaller role but performs well. The rest of the supporting cast is also fine. The music is supportive, and the lyrics are poignant (I'm saying this based on the English subtitles). Reddy sir knew how to craft a healthy, entertaining family comedy while tackling sensitive issues-and this is one of the earliest prime examples of his finesse. I reckon it must have become the talk of the village back in the day for breaking the silence on the dowry system and honour culture.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
