Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!

Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!
Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!
	VCD cover
Directed by	P. N. Ramachandra Rao
Screenplay by	P. N. Ramachandra Rao
Dialogue by	Thotapalli Madhu
Story by	P. Sambasiva Rao (Telugu adaptation)
Based on	Sailesh Dey's Bengali play Joymakali Boarding
Produced by	R. V. Vijay Kumar
Starring	Naresh; Rajeevi; Subhalekha Sudhakar; Tulasi; Brahmanandam; Bindu Ghosh; Maharshi Raghava; Jaya Latha; Kota Srinivasa Rao;
Cinematography	Babjee
Edited by	B. Shankar; S. Ramesh
Music by	Vidyasagar
Distributed by	Sri Sairam Films
Release date	7 June 1991;
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!! a 1991 Indian Telugu-language comedy film directed by P. N. Ramachandra Rao.^[1] The film features an ensemble cast including Naresh, Rajeevi, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Tulasi, Brahmanandam, and Maharshi Raghava.^[2] The film marked the first lead role for Rajeevi.

The film follows four bachelors who disguise themselves as a family to secure a rental home, leading to comedic situations when one of them falls in love with the landlady's daughter. Chitram Bhalare Vichitram is a Telugu adaptation of Sailesh Dey's Bengali play Joymakali Boarding.^[3]

Upon release, the film received positive reviews and was successful at the box office, eventually developing a cult following.^[4] Brahmanandam later listed Chitram Bhalare Vichitram among the top 11 films of his career.^[5]^[6] Naresh won the Nandi Special Jury Award for his performance.^[7] The film was later remade into Kannada as Bombat Hendthi (1992) and Tamil as Aanazhagan (1995).^[8]

Plot

The film follows four bachelors—Raja, Sudhakar, Raghava, and Brahmanandam—who live in a rented house owned by Gorojanala Garudachalam. One night, after returning home drunk, they misbehave with Garudachalam in a drunken state. The next morning, Garudachalam evicts them from the house. Struggling to find a new place, the four bachelors face rejection from several landlords who refuse to rent to bachelors.

They eventually find a landlady who insists on renting her property only to families. In a bid to secure the rental, the four bachelors disguise themselves as a family: Sudhakar plays the father, Raghava the retarded brother, Brahmanandam the father, and Raja pretends to be the wife, "Prema." Complications arise when Raja's girlfriend, who is the landlady's daughter, becomes involved, leading to a series of comedic mishaps.

Cast

Naresh as Nimmagadda Rajeswara Rao "Raja" / Prema
Rajeevi as Swapna
Subhalekha Sudhakar as Sudhakar
Tulasi as Meera
Brahmanandam as Brahmanadam
Bindu Ghosh as Gaja lakshmi
Maharshi Raghava as Raghava
Jaya Latha
Kota Srinivasa Rao as Gorojanala Garudachalam
Jaya Prakash Reddy as Phani
Attlii Lakshmi as Annapurnamma
Chitti Babu as Swapna's servant
Raavi Kondala Rao as Raghava's uncle Kolaiayappa
Radha Kumari as Raja's grandmother
Pradeep Shakthi as Inspector
Giribabu as Raja's boss
M. S. Rayudu
Sudhakar Reddy
Shyam Babu
Vijji

Music

Vidyasagar, a relatively newcomer at the time, composed the music for Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!, with notable tracks including "Seetalu Yerugani" and "Maddela Daruvei." The former, a melodious song sung by Sailaja and Chitra, was featured during Prema's Seemantam ceremony in the film. It has remained popular and is still commonly played at Seemantam functions in Hyderabad. The tune for "Seetalu Yerugani" is adapted from the Marathi song "Ga Kuneetari Yenaar Yenaar Ga" from Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi (1988), which was also shot during a Godh-barai ceremony, with the melody customised to suit Telugu and South Indian tastes.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Brahmachaarulam"	Veturi	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam	3:53
2.	"Navvukune Mana"	Veturi	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K.S. Chitra	4:32
3.	"Mahasaya Mathuga"	Veturi	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S.P. Sailaja	4:17
4.	"Maddela Daruvei"	Veturi	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam	3:49
5.	"Seetalu Yerugani"	Veturi	S.P. Sailaja, K. S. Chitra	5:02
Total length:				21:33

Legacy

Comedian Brahmanadam's phrase "Nee Yenkamma" became popular with this film.^[9] Brahmanandam later listed Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!! among the top 11 films of his career.^[5]^[6]

Accolades

Nandi Awards

Nandi Special Jury Award (actor) – Naresh (1992)^[7]

References

^ "Script by destiny". The Hindu. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
^ "Chitram Balare Vichitram (1991)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (10 July 2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. ISBN 9781135943257 – via Google Books.
^ "5 Telugu movies that you can never get bored, no matter how many times you watch them". The Times of India. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b "AP Film critics association felicitates Brahmanandam - Telugu cinema function". Idlebrain.com. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
^ ^a ^b "An interview with Telugu comedian Brahmanandam". Rediff.com. 6 August 1999. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
^ ^a ^b "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF) (in Telugu). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. 13 March 2010. p. 74. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
^ "'Avvai Shanmughi', 'Mayamohini' and others: How cinema misrepresents drag culture". The News Minute. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
^ Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (31 March 2013). "No easy escape". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

External links

Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!! at IMDb

[1] "Script by destiny". The Hindu. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

[2] "Chitram Balare Vichitram (1991)". Indiancine.ma. Retrieved 6 January 2025.

[3] Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (10 July 2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. ISBN 9781135943257 – via Google Books.

[T-4] "5 Telugu movies that you can never get bored, no matter how many times you watch them". The Times of India. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

[:22-5] "AP Film critics association felicitates Brahmanandam - Telugu cinema function". Idlebrain.com. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2022.

[:4-6] "An interview with Telugu comedian Brahmanandam". Rediff.com. 6 August 1999. Retrieved 1 January 2025.

[Nandi-7] "నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008)" [A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008)] (PDF) (in Telugu). Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh. 13 March 2010. p. 74. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2021.

[8] "'Avvai Shanmughi', 'Mayamohini' and others: How cinema misrepresents drag culture". The News Minute. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.

[9] Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (31 March 2013). "No easy escape". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

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