Ardhangi

Ardhangi is a 1955 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced and directed by P. Pullayya under the Ragini Pictures banner. It stars Santha Kumari, Savitri, and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Music is composed by Master Venu and B. Narasimha Rao. Acharya Aatreya scripted the film based on Maddipatla Suri's Telugu translation of the Bengali novel Swayamsidda written by Manilal Banerjee. The film was successful at the box office. It has received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu and the Filmfare Award for Best Film - Telugu. The film was remade in Tamil as Pennin Perumai and in Hindi as Bahurani (1963).

Plot
Zamindar Bhujanga Rao has two sons Raghavendra / Raghu & Nagendra / Naagu. After the death of his first wife, Zamidar knitted vainglory Rajeswari, who deranged Raghu with opium from childhood. Due to the mollycoddling of his mother, the second Naagu turns into a bad shape & a narcissist, and he mercilessly flogs his sibling. Once Naagu visits their village, he tyrannizes the peasants when intrepid Padmavati / Padma impedes his slave-driving attitude. Listening to it, Zamindar walks to Padma, declares her the right choice for Naagu's amendment, and fixes the alliance. However, Rajeswari & Naagu vetoed it when Zamindar wedlock Padma with Raghu to uphold his prestige. Soon after, the truth comes out, but she accepts him as a woman of virtue. From there, Padma becomes aware of Rajeswari & Naagu's savagery to Raghu and defies. Following this, with tenacity, she makes an austerity and molds her husband into a civilized person.

Zamindar is amazed to spot it and entrusts Raghu with the family tasks, which begrudge Naagu. So, he menaces his father for his share, which Rajeswari also bolsters. Tragically, Zamindar dies in that mishap by down a flight of stairs. Before leaving his breath, he consigns totality to Raghu. Hereupon, Rajeswari is pissed off and about to quit. Thus, Raghu surrenders all assets to her and shifts to their village with Padma. After that, Naagu burns cash for his vices and puppets his mother. Plus, he fits his paramour Neelaveni & her family at home, which Rajeswari goes against. Thus, Naagu seizes her authority, and she receives a slap from him. Naagu also pesters the farmers for the lease arrears, and they bestow it to Raghu, avowing him as proprietor. Being conscious of it, outraged Naagu heads to the village to shoot his brother. Parallelly, Raghu landed at Rajeswari and handed over the amount to her. At this, she perceives her slip, pleads pardon, and accompanies him. Besides, Naagu strikes on farmers when Raghu arrives and drops the money before him. Forthwith enraged Rajeswari is about to Naagu, which Padma hinders. At last, remorseful Naagu reforms with the integrity of Raghu & Padma. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the family's reunion.

Cast

 * Santha Kumari as Rajeswari Devi
 * Savitri as Padmavati
 * Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Raghunatha Rao / Raghu
 * Gummadi as Zamindar Bhujangarao
 * Jaggayya as Nagendra Rao / Nagu
 * Surabhi Balasaraswathi as Neelaveni
 * Chadalavada as Bheemudu
 * Nagabhushanam as Veeraiah
 * Dr. Sivaramakrishnaiah as Appula Sivakamaiah
 * Dr. Kamaraju as Diwanji Kakkaiah
 * Doraiswamy as Bhushaiah
 * B. Narasimha Rao as Musalaiah

Production
P. Pullayya originally wanted N. T. Rama Rao to play the mentally disabled Raghu and Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Raghu's half-brother Nagu. Nageswara Rao felt the negative role would not suit him, and was later cast as Raghu, which he preferred as he considered it "more challenging". The role of Nagu ultimately went to Jaggayya. Pullayya cast Gummadi as the zamindar Bhujangarao at the suggestion of film producer T. V. S. Sastri.

Soundtrack
Music composed by Master Venu & B. Narasimha Rao. Lyrics were written by Acharya Aatreya.

Box office
The film ran for more than 100 days in 5 centers in Andhra Pradesh.

Awards

 * 1955 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu - Certificate of Merit