# Palletoori Pilla

Palletoori Pilla (transl. Village Girl) is a 1950 Indian Telugu-language film produced and directed by B. A. Subba Rao under the Sobhanachala & B. A. Subba Rao Joint Productions banner. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi, with music was composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. The film was loosely based on the English play Pizaro by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
Palletoori Pilla was the first lead role for Rama Rao who had earlier acted in a minor role in Mana Desam (1949). It was blockbuster and was the highest grossing Telugu film of the year, and both Subba Rao and Rama Rao gained a good reputation from it. The film also marks the first collaboration between Nageswara Rao and Rama Rao who further acted in 14 films together thereafter.
The film was dubbed into Tamil as Grama Penn which became a hit. It was later remade in Hindi as Insaniyat (1955).

## Plot

Santha is a beautiful village girl who grew up with her cousin Vasanth. Vasanth has loved Santha without her knowledge since childhood. A dangerous dacoit, Kampanna Dora, frequently raids and loots the villages in the nearby territory.
Once, during their attack, Santha slaps Kampanna's principal associate, Jayanth, convincingly arguing regarding their lifestyle and livelihood. The incident makes Jayanth reform and decide to leave the realm when a rift arises between Jayanth and Kampanna, and he is imprisoned. But Jayanth absconds with the help of Thatha, a casuist in their squad, and reaches Santha's village.
At that juncture, he shields Vasanth and Santha against an onslaught of bulls when the villagers embrace and shelter him. After that, Jayanth aegis and develops self-defense skills in them when Santha starts loving him. Knowing this, an enraged Vasanth tries to knock out Jayanth, but after learning Santha's real intention, he couples them up. Right now, Kampanna traipses to destroy the village by slaughtering Thatha when the villagers crush him.
Time passes, and Santha gives birth to a baby boy. They are presently celebrating a folk festival when Kampanna ploys and captures Jayanth. Then, Santha denounces Vasanth when he affirms to safeguard her husband and proceeds towards Kampanna's fort. Meanwhile, anxious Santha also searches for Jayanth when Kampanna's men catch the baby. At last, Vasanth shields them by sacrificing his life and forgives Kampanna, making him repent. Finally, the movie ends, and it is shown that Vasanth's soul blesses the villagers.

## Cast

Cast according to the song book

## Soundtrack

Music composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. Music released on Audio Company.
| Song Title | Lyrics | Singers | length |
| "Mahatma" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Ghantasala | 1:35 |
| "Premamaya" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Pithapuram | 2:51 |
| "Shantavanti Pilla" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Ghantasala | 2:49 |
| "Dheerakampana" | P. Adinarayana Rao | Jikki | 2:42 |
| "Vaddura Baboi" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Pithapuram | 2:51 |
| "Chinnari Papayi" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Jikki | 3:05 |
| "Vuntenemi" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Jikki | 2:26 |
| "Chitapata Chinukulu" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Pithapuram, Jikki | 2:08 |
| "Palleseemala Bratuke" | Tapi Dharma Rao | Jikki | 2:58 |

## Production

Palletoori Pilla marked the first on-screen collaboration between N. T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Initially, Kalyanam Raghuramayya was cast in the lead role, but he was later replaced by Nageswara Rao. While this film was the first to be shot with N. T. Rama Rao in a lead role, his second film, Shavukaru (1950), was released before Palletoori Pilla.
During filming, Rama Rao performed his own stunts, notably in an action sequence involving a bull. Although the director advised using a stunt double, he insisted on doing the scene himself. Rama Rao was instructed to only catch the bull's horns, but he fully engaged in the fight, resulting in a fall that fractured his right hand. Despite sustaining two fractures, he continued shooting the next day, covering his bandages with full sleeves.

## Box office

The film ran for more than 100 days in 7 centres in Andhra Pradesh.