Lakshadhikari

Lakshadhikari (transl. Lakhier)^[a] is a 1963 Indian Telugu-language thriller film directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. The film stars N. T. Rama Rao and Krishna Kumari, with V. Nagayya, Gummadi, Relangi, Ramana Reddy, Mikkilineni, K. V. S. Sarma, Suryakantham, Girija and Rushyendramani in supporting roles. It is the debut production of Tammareddy Krishna Murthy and D. Venkatapathi Reddy's company Ravindra Art Pictures. It was released on 27 September 1963, and became a commercial success.^[3]

Rangaiah is a wealthy tycoon whose most trusted confidant is his manager Seetaiah. Seetaiah and his family live with Rangaiah, and Seetaiah's wife Lakshmi raises Rangaiah's motherless son Prasad alongside her own daughter Padma. Rangaiah's scheming brother-in-law Sivam pressures him to invest in gold smuggling, but Rangaiah refuses. One day, Rangaiah acquires valuable diamonds from a jeweler who stays as his guest. That night, Sivam steals the diamonds and kills the jeweler while framing Rangaiah's servant Panakalu. Rangaiah is convicted of the crime and sentenced to twenty years in prison, appointing Seetaiah as guardian of his son and estate. Sivam then abducts the child and orders Panakalu to kill him, while Lakshmi is traumatized into muteness. A childless couple, Pichaiah and Achamma, rescue Prasad and raise him as their own. In time, the couple is blessed with a daughter, Leela.

Years later, Prasad becomes a research scholar who discovers a cure for heart disease. Seetaiah has risen to high standing in society and awaits his master's release from prison. Sivam has become a dangerous gangster who still works alongside Panakalu, now employed under Seetaiah. Prasad and Padma meet in a street brawl and fall in love. Seetaiah offers Prasad a senior position and establishes a pharmaceutical company for him. Panakalu's son, Sanyasi Rao (S.S. Rao), befriends Prasad and falls in love with Leela. Panakalu recognizes Prasad by his birthmark and blackmails Pichaiah with the secret. Meanwhile, Achamma arranges a wealthy match for Leela, which Prasad opposes after learning of her romance with S.S. Rao. An angry Achamma curses Prasad and reveals his secret birth. Prasad then learns of his true parentage from Pichaiah and rushes to find Rangaiah, who has just been released. The father and son repeatedly cross paths but fail to recognize each other.

After a struggle, Rangaiah arrives at Seetaiah's home but collapses upon learning that his son is lost. That night, Sivam's men attack Rangaiah; Prasad saves him but is wounded. At the hospital, Rangaiah recognizes Prasad but stays silent at Pichaiah's request and quietly looks after him. Aware of the heir's existence, Sivam orders Panakalu to eliminate Prasad. During the confrontation, Sivam betrays Panakalu, while Rangaiah mistakenly attacks Prasad, believing him to be the assailant. Determined to prove his father's innocence, Prasad suspects the mystery centers on Seetaiah's bungalow and infiltrates it in various disguises with the help of S.S. Rao and Padma. There, it is revealed that Seetaiah is the actual murderer, having impersonated Sivam all along while keeping the real Sivam imprisoned. Prasad secures Rangaiah's freedom, Seetaiah is brought to justice, and Rangaiah accepts Padma as his daughter-in-law. The film ends with the marriages of Prasad and Padma, and of S.S. Rao and Leela.

• N. T. Rama Rao as Prasad
• Krishna Kumari as Padma
• V. Nagayya as Rangayya^[4]
• Gummadi as Seethayya
• Relangi as S. S. Rao^[4]
• Ramana Reddy as Pichayya^[4]
• Mikkilineni as Panakalu^[4]
• K. V. S. Sarma as Sivam^[4]
• Suryakantham as Achamma^[4]
• Girija as Leela
• Rushyendramani as Lakshmi^[4]

After working as a production controller at Sarathi Studios for years, Tammareddy Krishna Murthy established his own production company Ravindra Art Pictures (named after the poet Rabindranath Tagore) with his friend D. Venkatapathi Reddy as partner. For the company's debut production, which would eventually become Lakshadhikari, Krishna Murthy signed V. Madhusudhana Rao to direct and Narla Chiranjeevi as writer.^[4]

The original story was simply a family drama, which did not fully satisfy Krishna Murthy. When Krishna Murthy met producer Parvathaneni Gangadhara Rao, the latter advised him to include an element of suspense in the story, and Krishna Murthy liked the idea. Heeding to Krishna Murthy's wishes, Narla Chiranjeevi rewrote the story to make it look more like a thriller. Cinematography was handled by C. Nageswara Rao, and the editing by Akkineni Sanjeeva Rao.^[4]

N. T. Rama Rao was cast as the male lead Prasad; the fact that he and Krishna Murthy bonded during the making of Palletooru (1952), which was Krishna Murthy's cinematic debut as production manager, helped him get Rama Rao's dates for Lakshadhikari. Krishna Murthy initially chose Nagabhushanam to play the character Seethayya, but later replaced him with Gummadi as he felt he could "conceal villainy behind his soft demeanour and mislead the audience."^[4]

One scene filmed at the swimming pool of the College of Engineering, Guindy had Padma (Krishna Kumari) in a swimsuit, but it was edited out by the Censor Board who declared that "the heroine should not wear a swim suit". The exterior portions of Chandamama Buildings in Vadapalani stood in for the college where Padma and Leela (Girija) study. The end of the song "Mabbulo Yemundi" required that Rama Rao and Krishna Kumari walk holding each other's hands on the seashore. As they were walking, a giant wave swept them away. Krishna Kumari did not know swimming and almost drowned, but Rama Rao held her hand tightly and saved her. Peketi Sivaram created the film's revolver sound effects.^[4]

The soundtrack was composed by T. Chalapathi Rao.^[5]

Lakshadhikari was released on 27 September 1963.^[6] The film performed well at the box office,^[3] and became a trendsetter for more suspense-filled films in Telugu.^[4]

• Lakshadhikari at IMDb