Chantabbai
Encyclopedia
Chantabbai is a 1986 Telugu film movie made by Jandhyala and was released on 22 August 1986 . The film was a casting coup in that Chiranjeevi
, who was an action hero, was cast as a bumbling private detective in a full-length comedy film with no heroism whatsoever. The film won a lot of critical acclaim and is hailed as a classic comedy. This story was taken from Peter Sellers comic movie A Shot in the Dark.
) who likes to be known as 'James Pond' is a bumbling private detective working for a Private Detective Agency. Bowled over by her innocence and good nature, Pandu falls in love with Jwala (Suhasini Mani Ratnam
) who works as a telephone device cleaner for various businesses. One day, Jwala is accused of murdering a businessman for diamonds and arrested, Pandu gets her out on bail and eventually finds out that his own boss (Raavi Kondala Rao) was the murderer and sends him to jail. Impressed by this, Jwala's friend, Dr. Nischala (Mucherla Aruna
) requests Pandu to investigate and bring back her long-lost brother who was born out of wedlock to her father (Kongara Jaggayya
). After some investigation, Pandu introduces a young man (Chandramohan
) as Chantabbai- the lost son. But another young man(Sudhakar
) shows up as Chantabbai. The rest of the story is all about how Pandu solves the case and finds the real Chantabbai, where Chantabbai is none other than Chiranjeevi (Pandu Ranga Rao aka "James Pond"), James Pond never wanted to reveal that he's the one missing son of Nischala's father, and also while the fact was known by his sister, he explains the troubles and pains that he had faced in the past and in his childhood life.
Chiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi is a Telugu film actor and a politician. He has appeared primarily in Telugu Cinema along with a few Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Punadhirallu . However, Pranam Khareedu released at the box office earlier...
, who was an action hero, was cast as a bumbling private detective in a full-length comedy film with no heroism whatsoever. The film won a lot of critical acclaim and is hailed as a classic comedy. This story was taken from Peter Sellers comic movie A Shot in the Dark.
Synopsis
Panduranga Rao (ChiranjeeviChiranjeevi
Chiranjeevi is a Telugu film actor and a politician. He has appeared primarily in Telugu Cinema along with a few Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Punadhirallu . However, Pranam Khareedu released at the box office earlier...
) who likes to be known as 'James Pond' is a bumbling private detective working for a Private Detective Agency. Bowled over by her innocence and good nature, Pandu falls in love with Jwala (Suhasini Mani Ratnam
Suhasini Mani Ratnam
Suhasini Maniratnam is an Indian actress. She made her film debut in 1980 with the Tamil film Nenjathai Killathe for which she won the Best Actress award. Suhasini has won a National Film Award for Best Actress for Sindhu Bhairavi in 1986...
) who works as a telephone device cleaner for various businesses. One day, Jwala is accused of murdering a businessman for diamonds and arrested, Pandu gets her out on bail and eventually finds out that his own boss (Raavi Kondala Rao) was the murderer and sends him to jail. Impressed by this, Jwala's friend, Dr. Nischala (Mucherla Aruna
Aruna Mucherla
Aruna Mucherla is a Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam actress active during the 1980s. 1981 the film Seethakoka Chiluka received a Swarna Nandi Award for Best Feature Film.-Telugu Movies:* Geethanjali * Swarnakamalam...
) requests Pandu to investigate and bring back her long-lost brother who was born out of wedlock to her father (Kongara Jaggayya
Kongara Jaggayya
Kongara Jaggayya was an Indian Film Actor from Telugu cinema & Theater . He was popularly known as "Kanchu Kantam" Jaggayya Kongara Jaggayya (31 December 1928 – 5 August 2004; also transliterated as Jaggaiah) was an Indian Film Actor from Telugu cinema & Theater . He was popularly known...
). After some investigation, Pandu introduces a young man (Chandramohan
Chandra Mohan (actor)
Chandra Mohan or Chandramohan is a Telugu film actor. He acted as Hero, comedy, support character roles in many Telugu films.-Early life:...
) as Chantabbai- the lost son. But another young man(Sudhakar
Sudhakar
Sudhakar is a popular South Indian film comedian-actor. He acted more than 600 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi Languages. He also produced several films in Telugu, including the super hit film Yamudiki Mogudu.- Background :...
) shows up as Chantabbai. The rest of the story is all about how Pandu solves the case and finds the real Chantabbai, where Chantabbai is none other than Chiranjeevi (Pandu Ranga Rao aka "James Pond"), James Pond never wanted to reveal that he's the one missing son of Nischala's father, and also while the fact was known by his sister, he explains the troubles and pains that he had faced in the past and in his childhood life.
Cast
- ChiranjeeviChiranjeeviChiranjeevi is a Telugu film actor and a politician. He has appeared primarily in Telugu Cinema along with a few Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Punadhirallu . However, Pranam Khareedu released at the box office earlier...
.... Pandu Ranga Rao alias James Pond - Suhasini Mani RatnamSuhasini Mani RatnamSuhasini Maniratnam is an Indian actress. She made her film debut in 1980 with the Tamil film Nenjathai Killathe for which she won the Best Actress award. Suhasini has won a National Film Award for Best Actress for Sindhu Bhairavi in 1986...
.... Jwala - Allu Aravind
- ChandramohanChandra Mohan (actor)Chandra Mohan or Chandramohan is a Telugu film actor. He acted as Hero, comedy, support character roles in many Telugu films.-Early life:...
- Kongara JaggayyaKongara JaggayyaKongara Jaggayya was an Indian Film Actor from Telugu cinema & Theater . He was popularly known as "Kanchu Kantam" Jaggayya Kongara Jaggayya (31 December 1928 – 5 August 2004; also transliterated as Jaggaiah) was an Indian Film Actor from Telugu cinema & Theater . He was popularly known...
- Raavi Kondala Rao .... Pandu's Boss
- Mucherla ArunaAruna MucherlaAruna Mucherla is a Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam actress active during the 1980s. 1981 the film Seethakoka Chiluka received a Swarna Nandi Award for Best Feature Film.-Telugu Movies:* Geethanjali * Swarnakamalam...
.... Dr. Nischala - Bheema Raju .... Inspector Saumitri
- Allu RamalingaiahAllu Rama LingaiahAllu Rama Lingaiah , commonly known as Allu, was an Indian Telugu language comedic actor from Palakollou, India who appeared in over one thousand Tollywood films.- Film career :...
.........Drill master (Jwala's father) - Sakshi Ranga RaoSakshi Ranga RaoSakshi Ranga Rao was a Character actor in Theater arts and South Indian Cinema.He was born to Lakshmi Narayana and Ranganayakamma as Rangavajhula Ranga Rao of Kondiparru village near Gudivada. He began his career as a stenographer in Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. He showed passion for theater...
- Srilakshmi ...... Vagdevi (amateur poet)
- SudhakarSudhakarSudhakar is a popular South Indian film comedian-actor. He acted more than 600 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi Languages. He also produced several films in Telugu, including the super hit film Yamudiki Mogudu.- Background :...
- Suthi Veerabhadra RaoSuthi Veerabhadra RaoSutti Veerabhadra Rao or Mamidipalli Veerabhadra Rao was a very popular South Indian Film Actor who essayed the roles of Comedian and Character artists, as well as a renowned Radio /Theater Artist....
..........Butler - Suthi VeluSuthiveluKurumaddali Lakshmi Narasimha Rao popularly known as Suthivelu is a very popular South Indian Film comedian, who acted in more than 200 films.-Early life:...
.... Ganapathi - Potti Prasad......Newspaper editor
- ViswanathamViswanathamViswanatham is a panchayat town in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Viswanatham had a population of 22,121. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Viswanatham has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average...
.... Tham
Crew
- Director: Jandhyala
- Writera: Jandhyala (screenplay & dialogues) & Malladi Venkata Krishna MurthyMalladi Venkata Krishna MurthyMalladi Venkata Krishna Murty is a popular Telugu writer. He is known for thrilling plots, nearer to natural real life. Malladi Dakshinamurty, Malladi Saradamba are his parents. He is seventh child to his parents. He graduated from Andhra University in 1969...
(story-based on his novel Chantabbai) - Producer: Bheemavarapu Buchi Reddy
- Music: ChakravarthiChakravarthiChakravarthi born as Kommineni Apparao, was an Indian music director in the South Indian film industry. He scored music for 960 movies, In 1989 a total 95 films were released in Telugu cinema, in that, the music for 66 films was composed by Chakravarthi....
- Lyrics: Veturi Sundararama Murthy
- Playback singers: S.P. BalasubramaniamS. P. BalasubrahmanyamSripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas...
& P. SusheelaP. SusheelaPulapaka Susheela is an Indian playback singer. In a career spanning more than four decades, she has recorded songs in many Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu, Badaga and Sinhalese.-Personal life:She is the daughter of Pulapaka...