Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!

{{Infobox film

| name = Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!

| image = Chitram Bhalare Vichitram.jpg

| caption = VCD cover

| director = P. N. Ramachandra Rao

| producer = R. V. Vijay Kumar

| story = P. Sambasiva Rao (Telugu adaptation)

| screenplay = P. N. Ramachandra Rao

{{Infobox | decat = yes | child = yes

| label1= Dialogue by

| data1 = Thotapalli Madhu

}}

| based_on = Sailesh Dey's Bengali play Joymakali Boarding

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Vidyasagar

| cinematography = Babjee

| editing = B. Shankar
S. Ramesh

| distributor = Sri Sairam Films

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|1991|6|7}}

| runtime =

| country = India

| language = Telugu

| budget =

}}Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!! a 1991 Indian Telugu-language comedy film directed by P. N. Ramachandra Rao.{{Cite news |date=9 November 2012 |title=Script by destiny |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/script-by-destiny/article4079360.ece |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113200128/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/script-by-destiny/article4079360.ece |archive-date=13 January 2022 |access-date=13 January 2022 |work=The Hindu}} The film features an ensemble cast including Naresh, Rajeevi, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Tulasi, Brahmanandam, and Maharshi Raghava.{{Cite web |title=Chitram Balare Vichitram (1991) |url=https://indiancine.ma/AFQN/info |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Indiancine.ma}} The film marked the first lead role for Rajeevi.

The film follows four bachelors who disguise themselves as a family to secure a rental home, leading to comedic situations when one of them falls in love with the landlady's daughter. Chitram Bhalare Vichitram is a Telugu adaptation of Sailesh Dey's Bengali play Joymakali Boarding.{{Cite book |last1=Rajadhyaksha |first1=Ashish |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rF8ABAAAQBAJ&dq=joymakali+boarding&pg=PA1972 |title=Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema |last2=Willemen |first2=Paul |date=July 10, 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135943257 |via=Google Books}}

Upon release, the film received positive reviews and was successful at the box office, eventually developing a cult following.{{Cite web |date=24 March 2020 |title=5 Telugu movies that you can never get bored, no matter how many times you watch them |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/5-telugu-movies-that-you-can-never-get-bored-no-matter-how-many-times-you-watch-them/photostory/74777949.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329010852/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/news/5-telugu-movies-that-you-can-never-get-bored-no-matter-how-many-times-you-watch-them/photostory/74777949.cms |archive-date=29 March 2020 |access-date=13 January 2022 |website=The Times of India}} Brahmanandam later listed Chitram Bhalare Vichitram among the top 11 films of his career.{{Cite web |date=8 January 2008 |title=AP Film critics association felicitates Brahmanandam - Telugu cinema function |url=http://www.idlebrain.com/news/functions/filmcritics-brahmanandam.html |access-date=2022-02-01 |website=Idlebrain.com}}{{Cite web |date=6 August 1999 |title=An interview with Telugu comedian Brahmanandam |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/1999/aug/06brah.htm |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=Rediff.com}} Naresh won the Nandi Special Jury Award for his performance.{{Cite web |date=13 March 2010 |title=నంది అవార్డు విజేతల పరంపర (1964–2008) |trans-title=A series of Nandi Award Winners (1964–2008) |url=http://ipr.ap.nic.in/New_Links/Film.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223135739/http://ipr.ap.nic.in/New_Links/Film.pdf |archive-date=23 February 2015 |access-date=3 January 2021 |publisher=Information & Public Relations of Andhra Pradesh |page=74 |language=te}} The film was later remade into Kannada as Bombat Hendthi (1992) and Tamil as Aanazhagan (1995).{{Cite web |date=1 July 2019 |title='Avvai Shanmughi', 'Mayamohini' and others: How cinema misrepresents drag culture |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/avvai-shanmughi-mayamohini-and-others-how-cinema-misrepresents-drag-culture-104621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220916080201/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/avvai-shanmughi-mayamohini-and-others-how-cinema-misrepresents-drag-culture-104621 |archive-date=16 September 2022 |access-date=16 September 2022 |website=The News Minute}}

Plot

The film follows four bachelors—Raja, Sudhakar, Raghava, and Brahmanandam—who live in a rented house owned by Gorojanala Garudachalam. One night, after returning home drunk, they misbehave with Garudachalam in a drunken state. The next morning, Garudachalam evicts them from the house. Struggling to find a new place, the four bachelors face rejection from several landlords who refuse to rent to bachelors.

They eventually find a landlady who insists on renting her property only to families. In a bid to secure the rental, the four bachelors disguise themselves as a family: Sudhakar plays the father, Raghava the retarded brother, Brahmanandam the father, and Raja pretends to be the wife, "Prema." Complications arise when Raja's girlfriend, who is the landlady's daughter, becomes involved, leading to a series of comedic mishaps.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Naresh as Nimmagadda Rajeswara Rao "Raja" / Prema
Rajeevi as Swapna
Subhalekha Sudhakar as Sudhakar
Tulasi as Meera
Brahmanandam as Brahmanadam
Bindu Ghosh as Gaja lakshmi
Maharshi Raghava as Raghava
Jaya Latha
Kota Srinivasa Rao as Gorojanala Garudachalam
Jaya Prakash Reddy as Phani
Attlii Lakshmi as Annapurnamma
Chitti Babu as Swapna's servant
Raavi Kondala Rao as Raghava's uncle Kolaiayappa
Radha Kumari as Raja's grandmother
Pradeep Shakthi as Inspector
Giribabu as Raja's boss
M. S. Rayudu
Sudhakar Reddy
Shyam Babu
Vijji

}}

Music

Vidyasagar, a relatively newcomer at the time, composed the music for Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!!, with notable tracks including "Seetalu Yerugani" and "Maddela Daruvei." The former, a melodious song sung by Sailaja and Chitra, was featured during Prema's Seemantam ceremony in the film. It has remained popular and is still commonly played at Seemantam functions in Hyderabad. The tune for "Seetalu Yerugani" is adapted from the Marathi song "Ga Kuneetari Yenaar Yenaar Ga" from Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi (1988), which was also shot during a Godh-barai ceremony, with the melody customised to suit Telugu and South Indian tastes.

{{Track listing

| collapsed =

| headline =

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 21:33

| all_writing =

| all_lyrics =

| all_music =

| title1 = Brahmachaarulam

| lyrics1 = Veturi

| extra1 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam

| length1 = 3:53

| title2 = Navvukune Mana

| lyrics2 = Veturi

| extra2 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K.S. Chitra

| length2 = 4:32

| title3 = Mahasaya Mathuga

| lyrics3 = Veturi

| extra3 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S.P. Sailaja

| length3 = 4:17

| title4 = Maddela Daruvei

| lyrics4 = Veturi

| extra4 = S. P. Balasubrahmanyam

| length4 = 3:49

| title5 = Seetalu Yerugani

| lyrics5 = Veturi

| extra5 = S.P. Sailaja, K. S. Chitra

| length5 = 5:02

}}

Legacy

Comedian Brahmanadam's phrase "Nee Yenkamma" became popular with this film.{{Cite news |last=Chowdhary |first=Y. Sunita |date=31 March 2013 |title=No easy escape |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/no-easy-escape/article4565759.ece |url-status=live |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115062726/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/no-easy-escape/article4565759.ece |archive-date=15 January 2022}} Brahmanandam later listed Chitram! Bhalare Vichitram!! among the top 11 films of his career.