Soggadu, which starred Sobhan Babu, Jayachitra, and Jayasudha in the lead roles and released on December 19, 1975, and completes 50 glorious years this week. The film was produced by D Rama Naidu under the Suresh Productions banner and directed by K Bapaiah. It emerged as a massive blockbuster at the time, also earning Sobhan Babu a few awards.
“I was just 17 years old then, and I still remember music director K. V. Mahadevan and writer Athreya garu would visit our house in Chennai for song discussions. Before recording the songs, they would discuss them in detail, and we used to listen to those sessions and instantly fall in love with the songs,” recalled Suresh Babu, son of D Rama Naidu, in an official statement.
Modukuri Johnson was the dialogue writer, while Balamurugan penned the story. “I clearly remember Johnson going to the Marina beach to write the dialogues, as he wanted a peaceful place to work,” said Suresh Babu. He recalled how he used to give the clap and switch on the camera for many films produced under their banner. “We were young and were not allowed to attend shootings regularly because our studies were important,” he added. Suresh Babu recalled that Mande Gundelu marked his entry into film production, as he began actively overseeing production work from that film.
Suresh Babu fondly recalled that several scenes, including the iconic bullock cart race, were shot in his native village, Karamchedu. “Some portions of Soggadu were filmed in our village, and all the stars stayed at our house. Despite being a big star at the time, Sobhan Babu was very humble and always supportive of the producer,” he said.
He also shared a memorable incident from the shoot. “A song was supposed to be filmed near Kolavennu village, but it rained continuously for nearly ten days. My father was very worried due to the delay, but Sobhan Babu reassured him not to worry. During that time, my father visited a Vinayaka temple near the village and offered prayers. That moment was later used in the film’s title cards. In many of our films, you can see my father praying at a Vinayaka temple, and that particular image was captured during the making of Soggadu,” Suresh Babu recalled. Once the rains stopped, the song was shot as originally planned.
Soggadu went on to become a super-duper hit, with its songs enjoying immense popularity. “We later remade Soggadu in Hindi as Dildaar, with Jeetendra in the lead role. Jeetendra also visited our village, as some scenes were shot there. At the time, there were heavy floods, and he traveled by train to Chennai. Stars in those days were very cooperative and down-to-earth,” Suresh Babu concluded.
Today, Suresh Babu continues to uphold the legacy of his father’s iconic Suresh Productions banner, which continues to be regarded as one of the most prestigious production houses in India.
