Bobbili Raja

1990 film by B. Gopal

Venkatesh
Divya Bharati
Vanisri

CinematographyK. Ravindra BabuEdited byK. A. MartandMusic byIlaiyaraaja

Production
company

Suresh Productions

Release date

14 September 1990 (1990-09-14)

Running time

147 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageTelugu

Bobbili Raja ( lit. 'Raja from Bobbili' or 'The King of Bobbili') is a 1990 Indian Telugu-language romantic action film co-written and directed by B. Gopal. Produced by D. Suresh under his banner Suresh Productions, it stars Venkatesh and Divya Bharti (in her Telugu debut) while Vanisri, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Satyanarayana and Sumithra appear in supporting roles. Ilaiyaraaja composed the film's music.^[1]

It was dubbed and released by Suresh Productions in Hindi as Rampur Ka Raja in 1993.

Plot

The film begins with election campaigning in the village Bobbili. Sundarayya and Rajeswari Devi are strong opponents in elections. Rajeswari and her elder brother Ahobala Rao used various tactics to win the elections. Still, their younger brother Suryam supports Sundarayya and also loves his daughter Rajyalakshmi, and she becomes pregnant. Everybody dishonors her, and Ahobala wants to take advantage of the situation in the election campaign. When Suryam decides to reveal the truth to everyone, Ahobala tries to stop him. In that quarrel, Suryam accidentally dies. Ahobala plays a game and puts the blame on Sundarayya and Rajyalakshmi. Both are arrested but escape from jail and reach a forest.

After 25 years, Raja, Rajyalakshmi's son, has always lived in the jungle with his mother and grandfather. Rani is Rajeswari's daughter, and she is the minister of forests who has been brought up amidst wealth. Once, Rani visits the forest along with her friends for a tour. Raja guides them into the forest, and both of them have silly fights with each other along the way. One day, both are lost in the deep forest. After several adventures, they fall for each other.

Meanwhile, Rajeswari reaches the forest in search of Rani. During the search, she finds that Raja is Sundarayya's grandson. She catches Sundarayya and Rajyalakshmi and interrogates them. Rajyalakshmi and Rajeswari challenge each other; that she will get her son married to Rani, but Rajeswari says it will never happen. Finally, Rajeswari finds Rani and takes her back. Once Rani learns that Raja is her maternal uncle's son (her Bava), she escapes from home with her father Appa Rao's help and returns to the forest where Rajeswari follows her. Rajyalakshmi hands Rani over to her mother and tells her son to get Rani back honorably, and he will prove his mother is innocent.

Raja enters into Bobbili after listening to his mother's past and decides to teach Rajeswari a lesson. Raja starts the game with Rajeswari by making a threat to her ministry, but she double-crosses him by arresting Rajyalakshmi in the old murder case. Raja tries for bail, but when the policeman misbehaves with him, Raja fights with them and is arrested. Raja reveals the truth in court, and in his words, the government reacts to Rajyalakshmi and removes her from the ministry. Meanwhile, Ahobala also cheats on Rajeswari and forcefully makes Rani's marriage arrangements with his son Amurtha Rao. The incident opens Rajeswari's eyes, and she apologizes to Raja and Rajyalakshmi. Finally, Ahobala admits his mistake, and Raja and Rani get married.

Cast

The cast is listed below:^[2]

Venkatesh as Raja^[2]
Divya Bharati as Rani^[2]
Gummadi as Sundarayya
Vanisree as Minister Rajeswari Devi^[2]
Kota Srinivasa Rao as Ahobala Rao
Satyanarayana as Appa Rao
Brahmanandam as Forest Officer
Sumitra as Rajyalakshmi
Sivaji Raja as Amurtha Rao
Vidya Sagar as Suryam
Babu Mohan as Bajanappa
Pradeep Shakthi as Inspector
Jaya Prakash Reddy as Tribal
Bhimeswara Rao as Judge
Chidatala Appa Rao as Forest Guard
Heera as Servant Rathalu

Soundtrack

Bobbili Raja

Film score by

Ilaiyaraaja

Released

1990

Genre

Soundtrack

Length

25:26

Label

Echo Music

Producer

Ilaiyaraaja

Ilaiyaraaja chronology

Kondaveeti Donga
(1990)

Bobbili Raja
(1990)

Jagadeka Veerudu Atiloka Sundari
(1990)

Music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Lyrics are written by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry. Music released on ECHO Music Company.

No.	Title	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Ayyo Ayyo"	S. P. Balu, S. Janaki	4:47
2.	"Kanya Kumari"	S. P. Balu, S. Janaki	5:33
3.	"Chemma Chekka"	S. P. Balu, Chitra	5:04
4.	"Odante Vinade"	S. P. Balu, S. Janaki	4:59
5.	"Balapam Patti"	S. P. Balu, Chitra	4:49
Total length:			25:26

Release

The film upon release was a major commercial success, and was declared a 'All Time Blockbuster'.^[3] Having a 175-day run in 3 centres, it is considered Venkatesh's first silver-jubilee hit movie.^[4] It was later dubbed and released in Tamil as Valiban in June 1992^[5] and in Hindi as Rampur Ka Raja in 1993.^{[citation needed]}

Awards

Winner for Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Telugu - Ilaiyaraaja^[6]

References

^ "Bobbili Raja (1990)". Indiancine.ma. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bobbili Raja – Cinema Chaat". 31 May 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
^ "Venkatesh on 30 years of Bobbili Raja: I am feeling very nostalgic". The Times of India. 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
^ "CineGoer.com - Box-Office Records and Collections - Venkatesh's 175-Day Centres List". Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007.
^ "Tough and tumble". The Indian Express. 12 June 1992. p. 7. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
^ Refer Filmfare Magazine August 1991, 38th filmfare awards south Juhi Chawla Shilpa Abused Madras Awards:Winners