Bhakta Prahlada (1931 film)

Bhakta Prahlada (Telugu: భక్త ప్రహ్లాద) is the first Telugu talkie film made in 1931 by H. M. Reddy, a pioneer of the Indian film industry. It is a movie about a devotee Prahlada in Hindu mythology.

History
Ardeshir Irani was planning to make the first Indian talkie movie Alam Ara in Hindi in 1931. Hanumappa Muniappa Reddy (well known as H. M. Reddy) was assistant director on that film. Simultaneously, Reddy made the first Indian talkie in Telugu.
Prahalada was one of the successful dramas being played on stage by Surabhi Telugu drama troupe in those days. The team was under supervision of C.S.R. Anjaneyulu, who later became a famous Telugu actor. H.M. Reddy brought the entire drama team to Bombay and made the movie on the same set of Alam Ara. Among the cast in the movie, L. V. Prasad and Kamalabai became famous Telugu film personalities.

 Plot

See The Story of Narasimha and Prahlada for original story.

Dharmavaram Ramakrishnamacharyulu had written a Telugu drama for Surabhi drama group. The drama had been played many times and was successful.

 Crew

• Producer - H. M. Reddy under Krishna Movies banner.
• Director - C. S. R. and H. M. Reddy
• Art Direction - A.K. Sekhar
• Background music - H. R. PadmaNabha Sastri.
• Dailogues - Dharmavaram Ramakrishnamacharyulu.
• Lyrics - Chandala Kesavadasu
• Camera - Govardhanabai Patel
• Studios - Imperial studio in Bombay.

Cast

• Hiranya Kasapa - Munipalli Subbhaiah, also known as Valluru Subbaiah.
• Prahlada - Krishna Rao
• Leelavathi - Surabhi Kamalabai
• Moddabbai, friend of Prahlada and foolish son of Teacher - L. V. Prasad
• Indra - Dorasami Naidu.
• Remaining characters - B. V. Subbarao and Chitrapu Narasimha Rao.

 

 External links

• Bhakta Prahlada at the Internet Movie Database
• History of first telugu talk movie Bhakta Prahlada