Soudamini is a 1951 Indian Telugu-language swashbuckler film, produced and directed by K. B. Nagabhushanam, and presented by Kannamba. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, S. Varalakshmi and Kannamba, with music composed by S. V. Venkatraman. The film was a box office hit.
Plot The royal couple of the Malwa kingdom, Vikramasena and Saudamini, are childless until the queen conceives after receiving a boon from the sage Bodhayana. However, trouble arises with the arrival of an evil courtesan named Vilasavati, who seduces and manipulates Vikramasena. She poisons the King's mind, leading him to suspect Saudamini's purity and banish her.
In the forest, a benefactor named Gopala protects Saudamini, who gives birth to a baby boy, Udayasena. Years pass, and Saudamini raises Udayasena to be a gallant young man. Meanwhile, back at the fort, the promiscuous Vilasavati usurps the throne by colluding with the chief commander, Kamapala, who captures Vikramasena and gouges out his eyes. Learning of his father's plight, Saudamini commands Udayasena to protect him, and the young man sets out on his journey.
Midway, he halts at Kuntala for the blessing of Bodhayana, establishes his path, and crushes on its princess, Hemavati. Besides, Kamapala lusts on Hemavati and impels King Surasena to knit her with him, which Hemavati denies—discerning her daughter's love affair, Surasena prisons the turtle doves who skip. Unfortunately, they detach in between when a wizard seizes Hemavati. Eventually, Saudamini moves to Malwa sensing some premonition about her son when Kamapala rounds up her. Parallelly, Udayasena, with an angel's aid, learns how to recoup his father and triumphs over divine flowers from heaven. In his back, he secures Hemavati, too, and lands at Malwa, but Kamapala destined him to die. At last, the angel rescues him when he defeats the plotters, retrieves his father's vision, and reunites his parents. Finally, the movie ends happily with the marriage of Udayasena & Hemavati.
Cast Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Udayasena S. Varalakshmi as Hemavathi C.S.R. as Vikramasena Maharaj D. S. Sadasiva Rao as Mahamantri Mahamathi S. B. Acharya as Maharshi Bodhayana K. Prabhakara Rao as Kamapala Kannamba as Maharani Soudamini T. R. Rajini as Vilasavathi Vanaja as Devayani
Production The film was also made in Tamil with a different cast and was released as Saudamini.
Soundtrack Music composed by S. V. Venkatraman. Lyrics were written by Samudrala Sr. S. No.Song title Singers length1"Rama Rama Srirama" (Burrakatha)2"Srisaila Sadanaa"3"Anandamide"4"Yelukora Maa Chelini"5"Kundaradana"6"Vidhinidaatatarama"7"Navamasalu Nindina" (Burrakatha)8"Ko Ko Ani Kusindi"9"Le Le Le"10"Chepu Chepu"11"Valape Telavarenaa!"12"Vasiyu Vangadamukha Lavani"13"Oo Oo Yala Oolaiah"14"Daivame Pagayani"15"Naakai Velasitheva"16"Valachi Cherithiva"17"Ninicheru Daarileda"18"Pathiye Naadibansaaye"19"Bhalanooyi Bhayi Thammudu" (Burrakatha)
Reception Andhra Patrika praised the acting skills of the cast. It critiqued the songs as not that natural and that some of them imitated Kannada and Hindi songs. The portrayal of Akkineni Nageswara Rao's mental status as a closed door was inspired from a 1945-film, Spellbound, and questioned whether the audience understood it, the review continued. It criticised the film for not having enough novelty. Zamin Ryot reviewed the film as a typical film which contains errors, improvements and the storyline of a virtuous wife which are found in other Telugu films. It reviewed that film is engaging despite not having a speciality in the storyline. It has the ethos that the Telugu people would find satisfactory, the review continued. It left a mix of praise and criticism of the cast but appreciated sound and photography.
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