When Dr. Rajkumar's Movie Captivated Hearts Of Telugus
These are the days of "Pan India" movie trend. Producers of even small budget movies exhibit their pseudo prestige after getting their movies dubbed into two or three languages and call them as Pan India level movies.
Kannada movies are able to get theatres in other states after getting dubbed into their respective languages, but are unable to release them in their own state. Except for this hiccup, the demand for some movies of our stars have grown well in other states.
Now, we are going to tell you about the first ever Kannada movie that got released in other state and the response the movie got in that state.
The first Kannada movie that got released in other state was in the year 1986. The media in those days called this as a wonderful beginning. The movie was Dr Rajkumar starrer "Bhagyadha Lakshmi Baaramma" directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. This movie was released in Hyderabad which was the capital of undivided Andhra Pradesh those days.
Surprisingly, the movie was not dubbed into Telugu but was released directly in Kannada, but only posters were displayed in Telugu. On the very first day, a garlanded cut out of Dr Rajkumar was displayed in front of Padmavathi theatre in Hyderabad. The Production team of this movie went to Hyderabad by a special bus to witness the love of Telugu people for the kannada movie.
Telugu fans who surrounded this team had congratulated them with full love. Padmavathi theatre's cycle stand was completely full. They had even parked cycles outside the compound of the theatre. Tickets were sold out three days before the release of this movie. After witnessing the movie, one could see audience coming out of the theatre humming the song "Yaava Kaviyu Bareyalaara". To watch this historical moment, journalists from Karnataka had accompanied the team of this movie to Hyderabad.
In the local papers the advertisement of this Kannada movie was printed with attractive posters. Promotion of this movie was made with posters of this movie on cycles. People had to return after seeing "Housefull" boards on the very first day. Staff of this theatre had to struggle a lot to accommodate about 80 people who came to watch this movie by a special bus from Raichur! The local newspapers had reported that the people who came from other places had to stand and watch the movie.
Media of those days felt that distributing the movies outside the states helps only in spreading Kannada but financially not feasible. Later, another movie of Dr Rajkumar "Jwalamukhi" directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao was also released in Padmavathi theatre. Hence Rajkumar had captured the hearts of Telugu fans with just one movie.