Star Cast: JV Somayajulu, Anil Kapoor, Jyothi, Kantha Rao

Crew:
Music: KV Mahadevan
Cinematography: Baba Azmi
Editor: Anil Malnad
Written by S.L. Bhyrappa, Mullapudi Venkataramana
Director: Bapu
Producer: Harischandra Reddy, Raghava Reddy.

Language: Telugu

Release Date: 7 June 1980

Genre: Drama - Political & Progressive

Remake of Vamsa Vriksha (Kannada) starring Girish Karnad, Vishnuvardhan and directed by Girish Karnad, B.V Karnath.

Original is a novel written by S.L Bhyrappa.

We all build our pride on one thing that is, prestige that we acquire as hereditary. A family name, in a person's life forms his or her ideology at best. They tend to take pride in belonging to that family and even take it as a responsibility to live upto it's name. From Ramayanam, Mahabharatam we can read how important that "belonging" was and is, for people.

But is that belonging enough to lead a life? Does the "belonging" that everyone prides on help us to lead a peaceful life filled with gratitude, love and happiness? If there is constant unseen pressure that is killing you step by step, bit by bit, cell by cell, as it determines to lifestyle? Is it all worth it to still to reel it yet times - false prestige?

Vamsa Vrushkam raises these questions and answers them layer by layer. JV Somayajulu's character is progressive enough to let people decide their path but he believes his family pride is higher than anything else. He tries to talk to his widowed young daughter-in-law as if she should just leave every desire and only think about the end of her days.

But doesn't force to do so. Hence, when she asks him to send to a college to complete degree which her husband failed to complete as his last wish. His wife doesn't like that idea, he doesn't too. Still he accepts trying to be progressive wishing the things were simpler. He wants people to respect him and his family.

When she finds a person and falls in love again, he punishes her for choosing a life than just dying in rotten household by separating her from her child. His grandkid. She doesn't bare any more kids and repents her deed. Still, he poisons the young kid by saying that she chose her life over being his mother. Finally, he gets to know truth about his birth and repents all his deeds.

Well, such heavy film needed smart writing of Ramana and deft handling of Bapu, to keep the things interesting enough. The duo did not move away from the story for one bit but gave the drama heaviness without going into the melodramatic zone. Bapu was a huge visual director that Telugu Film rarely produced.

Ramana used to match his visuals with simple and crisp dialogues. Even this film, a complete plain drama that doesn't have huge marketable fights or twists, feels like a visual drama because of the kind of quality that the duo brings to the forefront. Watch this film to be immersed in the "Telugu nativity" that these legends bring to it. Also, watch it to understand how false how pride and prestige really are!