Pellinaati Pramanalu (1958) :
Brief Review -
KV Reddy's flippant attempt at The Seven Year Itch (1955) feels more like a regular husband-and-wife drama. Pellinaati Pramanalu was made between two iconic films of KV Reddy - Mayabazar (1957) and Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961). Reddy was fascinated by the idea of the Hollywood rom-com The Seven Year Itch, which I personally believe had nothing particularly special to attract someone's attention. Also, I think it wasn't suitable for Indian audiences back then. Yet, Reddy decided to make a film on that idea despite resistance from his earlier producer. The basic concept was turned into a fresh script and that's how Pellinaati Pramanalu was born. I have seen The Seven Year Itch and can confirm that PP hardly has 10% resemblance to the Hollywood flick. It's more of a standard husband-wife drama built around the theme of a married man's "wanderlust." We see Krishna Rao falling in love with Rukmini and eventually getting married. Seven years later, they have three kids and Rukmini is entirely occupied with the home and children. Krishna meets a new female employee in his office, Radha. She decides to teach him a lesson for doubting her dignity, and soon he starts falling for her. Rukmini's brother learns about this and sets up a plan for his sister's betterment. Will Krishna realise his mistake and acknowledge Rukmini's true worth? That's the whole plot - predictable, yet still engaging. There are plenty of songs and typical romance that keep you entertained. However, the film feels a bit overlong. One can complain about its length and screenplay, as what it had to offer wasn't anything particularly novel. ANR and Jamuna look adorable, while R. Nageswara Rao is fine. S. V. Ranga Rao does well in his role, and Rajasulochana shines as Radha. Reddy had set the bar too high for himself, and this regular domestic drama couldn't live up to that standard. Overall, a good watch but one that could have been better.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
