Beedala Patlu (transl. The Plight of the Poor) is a 1972 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced and directed by B. Vittalacharya. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Krishna Kumari, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film is based on the 1862 French novel Les Misérables, written by Victor Hugo.
Contents
Plot
During the Pre-independence era, Kotaiah steals a loaf of bread to feed his young niece. The judiciary sentences him to 2 months. Once, his niece visits, announcing her mother's death when she attempts to abscond but is caught, and his imprisonment increases to five years, which extends; in total, Kotaiah spends 12 years in prison. Shanta Kotaiah's niece is knitted to Ram Gopal, and they have a baby girl, Padma. Ram Gopal, who is in bad company and a crook, gets her to part with all her jewelry and disappears with it. Meanwhile, Kotaiah, on release from jail, has been told by the jail authorities, including Inspector Javert, a ruthless Police officer, to keep them informed about his whereabouts and to present himself regularly at the police station. When he returns to his locality, he cannot find Shanta, and the neighbors drive him away, calling him a dacoit. Kotaiah turns over a new leaf with the help of a Christian Bishop, who helps him realize himself and introduces himself as Dayanidhi, who becomes the successful mayor of his town. Once Kotaiah meets up with Shanta on her deathbed and before dying, she hands over Padma's responsibility to Kotaiah. Meanwhile, Inspector Javert discovers his new life and constantly threatens to expose him. Time passes, and the grown Padma falls in love with Arun Kumar, a freedom fighter. In a fight between the revolutionaries and the police, Javert is imprisoned by them, but subsequently, Kotaiah saves Javert's life. Javert commits suicide, unable to turn Kotaiah in to the authorities out of gratitude. Simultaneously, Arun Kumar gets injured by British Police. Kotaiah comes to his rescue. When Arun Kumar recovers, they will also identify Ram Gopal. Finally, the movie ends with the marriage of Arun Kumar & Padma, and Kotaiah breathes his last happily.
Cast
Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Kotayya / Dayanidhi / K V Purushottam
Krishna Kumari as Shantha
V. Nagayya as Father
Gummadi as Inspector Javert
Rao Gopal Rao as Raobahadoor Raja Ram Mohan Rao
Satyanarayana as Ram Gopal
Allu Ramalingaiah as Surayya
Chandra Mohan as Arun Kumar
Suryakantham as Kanthamma
Chandrakala as Padma
Vijaya Lalitha as Seetha
Soundtrack
Music composed by K. V. Mahadevan.