# Yerra Mandaram

Yerra Mandaram (transl. Red Hibiscus) is a 1991 Indian Telugu-language revolutionary film directed by Muthyala Subbaiah. Produced by Pokuri Venkateswara Rao on Eetharam Films banner, the film stars Rajendra Prasad and Yamuna with music composed by Chakravarthy. The entire film was shot in a remote village. The film was remade in Tamil as Puthiya Parasakthi (1996) and in Kannada as Balarama (2002). The film won four Nandi Awards.

## Plot

The film begins in a village where a beast overlord, Jaggayya Dora, tramples the public under his toe. Ramudu, a craven callow, labors in the town movie house, and he falls for benevolent Arundhati, the village's darling daughter, as she concerns & facilitates all. A patriot retired army officer affectionately takes care of both, and they call him Babai. The turtle doves are nuptial, and Arundhati conceives. It's time for Gram panchayat elections, and the government has allocated the president's seat to the scheduled caste based on the reservation quote. Hence, Jaggayya Dora ruses by picking Ramudu as nominal to grip authority. At that moment, Babai slaps Ramudu to remind him about the kickbacks while sitting on the crown. He crumbles because of his impotence and to be quiet about Dora's brutalities. Babai's hit always haunts him, so he charges Jaggayya Dora with the collectorate, and it assigns an officer to investigate. Tragically, Dora assassinates him, who incriminates Ramudu, and the judiciary penalizes him for six years when Arundhati delivers a baby boy.
Time passes, and Ramudu acquits and becomes a rebel with a solid heart. He is conscious of the massive scam that Jaggayya Dora squatting govt lands under laborers' benami. Then, Ramudu revolts, handovers the Pattadar Passbooks, and distributes the lands to real holders. Ergo, furious Dora, puts Ramudu behind bars, but he absconds. The next day, they find an anonymous corpse, which Jaggayya Dora claims as his stanch whom Ramudu had slain the previous night. Startingly, it is Ramudu's, but no one unveils it because of terror, including Arundhati & her kid, who sign the witness document. Spotting it, Babai sets foot for justice and becomes a miscreant's victim. Arundhati denies turning into a widow, lures Jaggayya Dora, and attempts an affair with him—additionally, she secures him from death with a snake bite. Hereupon, she receives severe mortification but stands stubborn. The following day, as a flabbergast, Jaggayya Dora is brutally killed, which Arundhati & her son announce as Ramudu's act, when the entire public supports, and closes the file. At last, it reveals Arundhati & her son slaughtered Dora on behalf of Ramudu. Finally, the movie ends with Arundhati moving forward as a widow and everyone bowing before her.

## Cast

* Rajendra Prasad as Ramudu
* Yamuna as Arundhati
* Devaraj as Degala Jagganna Dora
* P. L. Narayana as Babai, Retired Army Soldier
* Sakshi Ranga Rao as Poojari
* Narra Venkateswara Rao as Posukolu
* Sanjeevi as Nasa
* Jayalalita as Kotamma
* Sailaja as Jagganna Dora's wife

## Music

Music was composed by Chakravarthy. Audio soundtrack was released on Cauvery Audio Company label.
| S. No | Song Title | lyrics | Singers | length |
| 1 | "Yendi Bullemma" | Jaladi | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chitra | 4:22 |
| 2 | "Kadu Kadu Antava" | Adrusta Deepak | Vandemataram Srinivas | 4:21 |
| 3 | "Yalo Yalo Ooyala" | Jaladi | Raja, Chitra | 5:10 |
| 4 | "Randayyo Jejelu" | Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja | 4:43 |

## Awards
### Nandi Awards

* Best Feature Film - Gold - P. Venkateswara Rao
* Best Actor - Rajendra Prasad
* Best Villain - Devaraj
* Best Lyricist - Jaladi Raja Rao