Yamagola

Yamagola ( Havoc in Hell or The Great Havoc) is a 1977 Indian Telugu-language fantasy comedy film directed by T. Rama Rao who co-wrote the film with D. V. Narasa Raju. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Jaya Prada, with music composed by Chakravarthy. The film was produced by S. Venkataratnam who also worked as the cinematographer.

Yamagola released on 21 October 1977 and received positive reviews. The dialogues penned by D. V. Narasaraju were perceived as a satire on contemporary politics, especially the Emergency and are considered as one of the highlights of the film along with the performances of the cast and the music. It was remade in Hindi as Lok Parlok (1979) and in Tamil as Yamanukku Yaman (1980), while also inspiring the 2007 Telugu film Yamadonga.

Plot
The film begins in a village where its President, Satyam, makes the area prosperous and confronts the barbarities of a tyrant, Rudrayya. Satyam falls for a charming girl, Savitri, daughter of Rudrayya. Knowing it, Rudrayya intrigues and murders Satyam, utilizing a professional killer, Ram Sastry, in the traditional form. After that, Ram Sastry asks Rudrayya to wait until he completes demonic prayers. But as it's getting late, Rudrayya buries the body in the backyard.

Now, the soldiers of hell temporally send Satyam to heaven, where he creates turmoil and turbulence and encounters Indra. Afterward, he is moved to hell, where, too, he gives rise to a mayhem situation by starting a union of hell soldiers and making their revolt. Satyam opposes Yama Dharma Raja and Chitragupta, which calms down through negotiations when Yama realizes to reform their laws. Hence, he lands on earth with Chitragupta in human form and declares lock-out. Eventually, Satyam also restores his life with a promise to return upon their arrival.

By that time, Police are in search of Satyam and suspect Rudrayya. Satyam approaches panic-stricken Rudrayya as his doppelganger Sundaram. As an undisclosed, Rudrayya appoints and forges him as Satyam, whereby he starts mocking him. Parallelly, Yama and Chitragupta on Earth face several challenges and are ultimately seized by the Police when Satyam acquits them. Exhausted, they decide to return, which frightens Satyam as he should also die. So, Satyam plans to go with Savitri and invite them to Rudrayya's house. Accordingly, Savitri serves them with adoration and asks for a boon to perform her espousal with her beau, which he accepts.

During the wedding, Satyam is under the veil, and Yama blesses the couple's long life; therefore, Satyam escapes from death. Suddenly, Rudrayya fires on Satyam. Here, as a flabbergast, Satyam wakes up, revealing it's all his dream when Rudrayya re-attacks, but Satyam ceases him. At last, he affirms that Ram Sastry is Satyam's friend Ramana Murthy, and all is his play when Rudrayya pleads for pardon. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the marriage of Satyam & Savitri.

Cast

 * N. T. Rama Rao as Satyam
 * Jaya Prada as Savithri
 * Rao Gopal Rao as Rudrayya
 * Kaikala Satyanarayana as Yama Dharma Raju
 * Allu Ramalingaiah as Chitraguptudu
 * Prabhakar Reddy as Ramana Murthy/Rama Sastry
 * Kanta Rao as Indra
 * P. J. Sarma as Police Inspector
 * Chalapathi Rao as Satyam's friend
 * K. V. Chalam as Peerayya
 * Potti Prasad as Dentist
 * Suryakantham as Seethamma
 * Manju Bhargavi as Menaka
 * Jhansi as Wife of Rudrayya
 * Jayamalini in an item number
 * Nirmalamma as Santhamma

Production
The film was inspired by Rama Rao's own Devanthakudu (1960), and two other films — Death Takes a Holiday (1934) and Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958). Devanthakudu, in turn was a remake of the 1958 Bengali film Jamalaye Jibanta Manush based on the novel of the same name by Dinabandhu Mitra. Principal photography began on 28 May 1977, and was completed in 27 working days.

Soundtrack
Music was composed by Chakravarthy.

Release
Yamagola was released on 21 October 1977. The film celebrated a silver jubilee run at 6 centres and ran for 40 weeks in Hyderabad and Vijayawada.

Reception
A reviewer for Andhra Jyothi praised D. V. Narasaraju's dialogues, performances of the cast and called it, "a colourful film which would entertain all kinds of audiences." Another reviewer for Andhra Patrika wrote, "Yamagola is a satirical film on the current societal conditions told in a light-hearted manner." The reviewer noted the satirical dialogues of Narasaraju as the major highlight of the film and commended the performances of the cast and the music. Kompella Viswam of Sitara magazine noted the similarities between Yamagola and C. Pullayya's Devanthakudu. Furthermore, he praised the dialogues penned by D. V. Narasaraju especially those on Sanjay Gandhi and the Emergency, the performances of the cast and the direction of T. Rama Rao.

Legacy
The film was remade into Hindi as Lok Parlok in 1979, with Jaya Prada reprising her role. It was also remade in Tamil as Yamanukku Yaman (1980).

Yamagola also inspired the 2007 Telugu film Yamadonga directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film which follows the basic plotline of Yamagola starred Rama Rao's grandson N. T. Rama Rao Jr.