Malapilla (1938)

Radical dlrector Ramabrahmam's debu feature tells of a harijan woman (Kanchanmala) who falls in love with a Brahmin Nagaraju (Gali Venkateshwara Rao) in a dlrect critique of exploitative Brahmin rituals. The musical hit including songs like <i>Nallavade golla pillavade</i> and <i>Aa mubbu ee mubbu</i> established the poet Basavaraju Apparao as a film lyricist. Addressing the problem of caste, a major issue in South Indian politics, it was dedicated to the maharajah of Travancore who had passed a law allowing members of all castes to enter temples. On its release, the film caused a sensation, rejecting the stage-derived mythological genre dominating 1930s Telugu cinema.