Papam Pasivadu
Papam Pasivadu (transl. The poor and innocent child) is a 1972 Indian Telugu-language adventure drama film[1] directed by V. Ramachandra Rao and written by Gollapudi Maruti Rao. A remake of the South African film Lost in the Desert (1969), it stars S. V. Ranga Rao, Nagesh, Master Ramu and Devika. The film revolves around a boy who gets lost in a desert, and his attempts to find his family. Papam Pasivadu was released on 29 September 1972 and became a commercial success.
| Papam Pasivadu | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | V. Ramachandra Rao |
| Produced by | Atluri Seshagiri Rao |
| Screenplay by | Gollapudi Maruti Rao |
| Based on | Lost in the Desert by Jamie Uys |
| Starring | S. V. Ranga Rao Nagesh Master Ramu Devika |
| Music by | Chellapilla Satyam |
| Cinematography | M. Kannappa |
| Edited by | Balu |
Production company | Sri Lakshmi Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 139 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Plot
Venugopal and Janaki are a married couple. They soon have a baby boy named Gopi. During Gopi's childhood, he contracts tuberculosis. His family consults their doctor to obtain the best possible treatment for him and they decide to send him to Switzerland with Gopi's uncle Pathy as their pilot. During the journey, Pathy suffers a sudden heart attack, and the plane crashes in Thar Desert. Gopi, with only his dog Tommy accompanying him, has to face several obstacles and finally survives to reunite with his family.
Cast
- S. V. Ranga Rao as Venugopal
- Nagesh as Pathy
- Master Ramu as Gopi
- M. Prabhakar Reddy as Chakrapani
- V. Nagaiah as the doctor
- Kaikala Satyanarayana as Narasimham
- Devika as Janaki
- Suryakantham as Durgamma
- Chhaya Devi as Subbamma
Production
Development
After the success of Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971), which was shot mostly in deserts, its producer Atluri Purnachander Rao wanted his next venture to also be desert-based.[1] Jamie Uys' South African film Lost in The Desert (1969) had just been released in Andhra Pradesh, and caught Rao's attention; he commissioned Gollapudi Maruti Rao to write a story based on this film, which became Papam Pasivadu.[2] The film was produced by Rao's brother Atluri Seshagiri Rao under their home company Sri Lakshmi Productions, V. Ramachandra Rao was hired as director, M. Kannappa for cinematography, Balu for editing and S. Krishna Rao for direction.[1][2]
Casting
When Chukkala Veera Venkata Rambabu or "Ramu" first auditioned for the role of Gopi, he was rejected as the makers felt he was too young for the role. However, he was signed on after several negotiations.[1] S. V. Ranga Rao was cast as Gopi's father Venugopal, Nagesh as Gopi's uncle Pathy, M. Prabhakar Reddy as the airport official Chakrapani, V. Nagaiah as the doctor, Kaikala Satyanarayana as Venugopal's brother Narasimham, Devika as Gopi's mother Janaki, Suryakantham and Chhaya Devi as relatives after Venugopal's wealth. A Pomeranian named Tommy was cast as Ramu's dog of the same name.[2]
Filming
Principal photography took place in March 1972. The film was shot for 27 days at the Thar Desert, during which Ramu and the dog playing Tommy were the only actors. The scenes picturised on Nagesh, Ranga Rao, Devika, Prabhakara Reddy and Satyanarayana were shot at studio sets matching the actual location, and on beaches near Madras.[2] Due to difficulty in obtaining further dates for Nagesh, the makers chose K. Chakravarthy to dub his voice.[1] The final length of the film was 139 minutes, longer than Lost in The Desert which was 90 minutes long.[2]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Chellapilla Satyam.[3]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Performers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Manchi Yannadhe Kaanaradhu Ee Manusula lona" | Kosaraju Raghavaiah | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, L. R. Eswari | |
| 2. | "Lakshmim ksheera Samudra Raja" | P. Susheela | ||
| 3. | "O Babu Maa Babu Nee Kanna Maku Pennidi Yevaru" | C. Narayana Reddy | P. Susheela | |
| 4. | "Amma Chudali Ninnu Nannanu Chudali" | Aatreya | P. Susheela | |
| 5. | "Ayyo Pasivada Ayyo Papam Pasivada" | Aatreya | Ghantasala |
Marketing
Papam Pasivadu was publicised through publicity pamphlets of the film being thrown from helicopters in various towns, a first for Telugu cinema.[2]
Release and reception
Papam Pasivadu was released on 29 September 1972 and became a commercial success.[2]
References
- Pecheti, Prakash (31 March 2019). "A jewel in the golden era". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- Narasimham, M. L. (16 March 2020). "Papam Pasivadu (1972): A fascinating adaptation of South African movie 'Lost in The Desert'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- "Papam Pasivadu (1972)-Song_Booklet". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 2 April 2020.