Narasinga Rao’s debut is an existential melodrama with the director enjoying a romantic painter, Ravi, whose mates embrace a commerce union chief (Kakarala), an autorickshaw driver, a Marxist journalist (Narayana Rao) and a glib, profitable painter (Saichand) whose success contrasts with Ravi’s incapacity to promote his personal work. His neighbour Kankamma, who rejects an evil landlord’s advances, is evicted from her home; the commerce unionist is killed in police custody; and Ravi begins exhibiting his work on the streets to point his rising politicisation to the satisfaction of his Marxist good friend. The movie is geared to the CPI(ML)-led political actions in Northern AP and included the compositions and songs of the area’s best-known radical poet and performer, Gaddar.
