Tollywood turns 80

Eighty Years  of Telugu film industry was on Thursday celebrated by Tollywood at a simple function in Film Nagar with stalwarts of the industry paying glowing tributes to the founder fathers of the industry.

MAA (Movie Artistes Association) President, Murali Mohan, veteran director Dasari Narayana Rao were among the galaxy of film personalities who gathered on occasion.

It was on September 15, 1931 that the first Telugu film “Bhakta Prahlada” was released. The film was given shape by HM Reddy. In the pioneering years, it was HM Reddy, Goodavalli Ramarahmam, Raghupathi Venkiah, C Pullaiah who paved way for the Telugu film industry which has grown in leaps and bounds and holds the record of producing maximum number of pictures in a year and has emerged as the biggest industry after Hollywood and Bollywood.

Telugu Cinema has completed 80 glorious and eventful years. In the eight decades, Telugu Film industry produced about 5000 movies and many classics, and strengthened its name as one of the few film industries that makes large number of films every year in the world. H M Reddy's Bhakta Prahlada was the first talkie movie made in Telugu language and that was released on September 15, 1931.

Although some say the release date has no valid proof, movie historians worldwide acknowledged that the first sound films of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu all were released in the year 1931. But sadly, none of the film's material (including the movie's print and poster) is available now in its original form.

'Bhakta Prahlada' was made with a budget of Rs 18,000 in 21 days.

Alam Ara, directed and produced by Ardeshir Irani, was the first Indian sound film, which was released on March 14, 1931. With the success of Alam Ara, Ardeshir Irani asked his close associate H.M. Reddy to make films in South, so he directed a Tamil talkie Kalidas (1931) and a Telugu talkie Bhakta Prahalada, both were released in short gap of time.