Stars : Star Profiles : Hit Pair: Sobhan Babu, Sarada

Sobhan- Sarada: A unique Combination

"Hit pair" is quite an accepted concept in Telugu Cinema. Sobhan was known for his glamour and performance for about 30 years in the filmdom, and Sarada is known more for her outstanding, performance-oriented roles of mid-80's than for glamour roles or for her sober roles of earlier career. The combination of these two stars became a hit pair so much that nearly all movies in their combination were hits.

Manushulu Maaraali

Released on Oct. 02, 1969, the movie was a sensation at that time, but it did not bring as much moolah to the producers (who also distributed the film) since they were new to distribution and did not have any theaters as a "base" and the film did not stand long thus. Still, the movie had its own records: This was the only movie that played for 100 days direct (108 days) in Sheeshmahal theater in Vijayawada. As the movie was attracting huge crowds, it was screened in the adjacent theater Leelamahal too! With huge number of ladies coming to theaters like never before, one theater was reserved for ladies only. It was not until 21 years later that any other movie had a six-week run in two theaters in regular shows in the city of Vijayawada; it was megastar's GangleaderManushulu Maaraali was also the first Telugu film which ran houseful for all the first 100 shows! that finally redid the feat!

In Hyderabad, a 134-day run in Prabhat Talkies was the highest for the theater, while it was also the last black and white film to have had such a long run! In Secunderabad also, it was the last of the three black and white films which had a direct 100-day run with three shows, running in Rajeshwar for 102 days. (Letha Manasulu in 1966 and Poola Rangadu in 1967 ran for 118 and 102 days respectively, before Manushulu Maaraali.) With a 100-day direct run in Warangal's Durga Kalamandir, the movie also set a record as the last black and white film to have had three direct 100-day centers in Nizam area. In Nizamabad's Ashok theater, the film was released on Oct. 21, 1969 and ran for 10 weeks with three shows, setting another record for Telugu black and white films. Other 100-days centers include Rajahmundry (104 days in Apsara), and Guntur (119 days, with 15 days in Naaz, and 104 days in Naaz Apsara).

Pasidi Manasulu

Released on May 16, 1970, the movie was a love story liked by the youth. With good music and a message-oriented theme, this film was a fairly successful one. The film had direct 50 days run in Vijayawada (Alankar), Guntur (Saraswathi), Rajahmundry (Kumari), Warangal (Rajarajeshwari), Kakinada (Minerva), Vishakhapatnam (Alankar), and Nellore (Seshmahal).

Sisindri Chittibabu

The child sentiment in the film made it a commercial success when the movie released on Jun. 18, 1971. Guntur's Seshmahal and Vijayawada's Saraswathi were its direct 50-day centers, while Sangam in Hyderabad saw a 49 days run.

Manavudu-Danavudu

Jun. 23, 1972 was when this sensational film released. Sobhan did a great job in two contrasting roles of a doctor Venu and a brutal, inhuman rowdy Jagan. Jagan's role was quite popular among audience then, and Sobhan's goggles in the movie were quite popular among youth of the times. The film did wonders for Sobhan's career; his remuneration rose from a mere Rs. 12,000/- to Rs.1,00,000/- with this one movie! The film has the shades of a split personality a la Chandramukhi and Aparichitudu of today, and Rajinikanth told the media on an occasion that he watched this movie 17 times! Made with just about 4 lakhs of rupees, the film collected 11 lakhs in the first two weeks alone! Among Sobhan-Sarada combo movies, this was the only one in which Sarada's role was limited to being a glamour role. This was also the first film to run 77 days houseful in Vijayawada and 41 days houseful in Guntur. The film ran for 120 days in Sreelakshmi of Vijayawada, 118 days in Prabhat of Hyderabad, 121 days in Saraswathi of Guntur, 112 days in Swamy of Rajahmundry and Venkateswara of Kakinada, 101 days in New Talkies of Nellore, and more than 77 days (shift) in Saraswathi of Vishakhapatnam.

Kaalam Maarindi

This is yet another sensational subject with great performances by Sarada and Sobhan Babu. The movie was a path-breaking one at a a time when casteism was at a high; it was a Nandi Award winner for the year 1972. The film has lilting music too. It was said all over that the sweepers in the theaters had a hard time brushing off all the broken bangles in the initial weeks of the release - there were so many ladies among the audience! The film ran for 98 days (three shows) in Venkatesa of Hyderabad and 2 more days with an 8:45 a.m. show, giving way to Sobhan's subsequent film Pedda Koduku. Kaalam Maarindi stood as the black and white film that had the highest run in 70 mm theaters.

Sarada

Kranthi Kumar's debut film as a producer, this movie was a sensational hit and a 1973 Nandi Award winner too, with superb performances by Sarada, Sobhan Babu, and Satyanarayana. Sobhan's performance as a doctor who marries Sarada and as a psychiatrist acting like the former husband of Sarada is simply extraordinary! Sarada did great as an innocent village belle. Chakravarthy's music was another major asset for the film. However, released by Jyothi Film Distributors, this film was also a victim of bad job of distribution. Sarada created a sensation in Vijayawada by running 27 days in two theaters (after Manushulu Maaraali), Maruthi and Apsara from 15th to 27th Maruthi and Jaihind. It ran for four weeks in Guntur too, in Liberty and Alankar, and even completed a 100-day run in Alankar. (The record stayed until it was broken by Aadi recently.) Sarada was the only 100-day film in Alankar. (It was Srinivas Theater earlier, before heroine Jamuna bought it and renamed it as Alankar.) The film ran for 100 days in Kakinada's Swapna, the record that stayed until broken by Mangamma Gaari Manavadu 11 years later. In Rajahmundry's Nagadevi, the 100-day record for this film stayed until it was broken by Pasivaadi Praanam after 14 years. It was the first black and white film that ran for 50 days direct in Lakshmi Ganga 70 mm in Kadapa (released after 64 days of the original release). It was the first and only black and white film that ran direct in Srirama of Kurnool, and Jagadamba 70 mm of Vishakhapatnam. The movie collected more than 2.5 lakhs of rupees in 50 days, creating a record in the (coastal) Andhra region. The movie was the first and the only black and white film that ran for 50 days in 70 mm theaters in three centers.

With Sarada, Sobhan became the only hero to have two black and white films that ran for 200 days (three shows) in Hyderabad. Also notable is the fact that Sarada was released on May 04, 1973, only two weeks after Sobhan's Jeevana Tharangaalu on April 20.

Jeevitham

While Sarada was released two weeks after Jeevana Tharangaalu, Jeevitham was released two weeks after Sarada, thus foregoing most of its possible successful run to Sarada, though it had good music and theme too. Still, this movie ran for 55 days at Venkatesa 70 mm at Hyderabad and at Liberty in Guntur, and had 8 more centers where it ran for 48 or 50 days directly. With such closely spaced releases, Sobhan Babu set a record of having three black and white movie releases in a span of 28 days, all of which had a direct 50 days run.

Idaa Lokam?

Released as an experimental film, this film made the biggest hit of the year (1973). Sobhan's dual role as a father and son, and Sarada's role opposite the elder of them, were very treated very well. It was released in Leelamahal and Seeshmahal of Vijayawada, and it ran for 56 days in the former, making this the only film that ran for 50 days in that theater ever! The film had the same 8-week run in Guntur's Liberty too.

Devudu Chesina Pelli

This is the first color film with Sobhan Babu and Sarada in the lead. Sarada appears in two roles, as twin sisters, while Sobhan plays a postman in the film. The film had good music. It collected 25 lakhs in 29 days. It was the first film for which one day (of the third week) was reserved for ladies alone!

Balipeetham

Based on the sensational novel of the same name by Muppalla Ranganayakamma, the film became a sensation and lived up to the expectations of those who read the novel. This film is also based on casteism but is treated differently than Kaalam Maarindi. Sarada once told that several people came and asked her how she could neglect such a doting husband as Bhaskar (the male lead in the story) after she acted in this movie! The film ran direct 100 days in two centers (Vinoda in Vijayawada for 112 days, and Naaz Apsara in Guntur for 106 days) and in two more in shifts. Balipeetham was also the first Telugu film that collected one lakh rupees in a side theater in Guntur.

Karthika Deepam

This was the movie that gave the "two-heroines' hero" image to Sobhan Babu. With beautiful music and sensitive performances, Sobhan and Sarada proved to be a hit pair yet again, and the movie won Filmfare Award for 1979. It was the first film to collect more than 3.5 lakhs in 50 days in a single non-A.C. theater (Vijayawada's Kalyana Chakravarthy). In Vishakhapatnam, it was the first film to collect 6 lakhs in 100 days when another hero's movie collected at least 5 lakhs. In Anantapur (Shanti), it was the first film for a hero other than NTR to enjoy a 50-day run with three shows. The film collected 60 lakhs in the first 50 days (with considerably lesser number of centers) and was the highest grocer that year. It ran for 92 days in Venkatesa of Hyderabad and 97 days in Veerabhadra of Rajahmundry, and was shifted in Guntur (after 18 days, from Naaz to Naaz Apsara) and Warangal (after 21 days, frm Naveen to Saroj). It celebrated 100 days direct run at Sangam A.C. in Vishakhapatnam (118 days), Kalyana Chakravarthy in Vijayawada (113 days), Panduranga in Eluru (100 days), and in 7 more centers with shifts.

Kodallosthunnaru Jagarttha

This film had a direct 100-day run in Kalyana Chakravarthy of Vijayawada (103 days), and Kalyani of Nellore (101 days), and 9 more centers with shifts. It was the first film to run for 100 days in Nellore's Raghava Complex. It was also the first film in Anantapur to be exhibited for 17 days with four shows in Gowri.

Alludugaru! Zindabad!

With nothing to boast about other than the combination of Sobhan and Sarada, this movie did have a respectable run in major centers.

Pratheekaram

The film generated good reviews and had a good run too. Vijayawada's Vinoda, Hyderabad's Basanth, Tirupathi's Mini Pratap, Kakinada's Satya were its 50 days centers. Notable is that the movie was released just 13 days after NTR's sensational hit Bobbili Puli and yet it created first week town records in some centers like Tanuku!

Raghuramudu

The first real flop for the hit combination, this film did not even manage a minimum respectable run in any center in A.P! After Raghuramudu, Sobhan and Sarada did films like Maha Sangraamam, Mister Bharat, etc., not as a pair but as mother and son.

Samsaaram

Five years after Raghuramudu, Sobhan and Sarada teamed up again to give a hit yet one more time! Though Samsaaram is a big hit, the film's running was "killed" by removing it from all major centers after having a 49 days' run! Only the producer would know why this mystery happened!

Chattamtho Chadarangam

Another hit after Samsaaram for the pair, this movie was also lifted in most centers without a good reason, though the movie generated huge revenues. Jaihind in Vijayawada, Jyothi in Vishakhapatnam, Rama in Warangal, and four other centers could keep the movie for a 50-day run still.

Emandee...! Aavida Vacchindi!

In 1973, Sobhan Babu acted in two successful films, one each with Vanisree (Jeevana Tharangaalu) and Sarada (Sarada). After 20 years, he acted with both of them in one film, giving a sensational hit! The movie had a 112-day run in Kakinada's Sridevi, and also a 150-day run in three theaters there, with shifts, and with four shows, which is another record. This movie was also the fifth film of Sobhan Babu to have a 50-day run with four shows. (Chiranjeevi also held the same record of 50 days with four shows in Kakinada with his Mechanic Alludu.) In Nagadevi of Rajahmundry too, the movie had a 100-day run. In ceded (Rayalaseema) area, the movie had 50 days run in 7 centers, a record that none except NTR held. The film was however only an average flick in Nizam area.

Article by Vijay Bhaskar
Compiled and Edited by Sri Atluri , NaChaKi

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