Missamma (1955)

Missamma (English: Miss Madam) is a 1955 Indian bilingual romantic comedy film directed by L. V. Prasad and produced by B. Nagi Reddy and Aluri Chakrapani under the banner of Vijaya Vauhini Studios. Aluri Chakrapani wrote the script, based on both Rabindranath Maitra's Manmoyee Girls School and Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay's Detective. The film was edited by C. P. Jambulingam and Kalyanam; Marcus Bartley provided the cinematography; S. Rajeswara Rao composed the music.

The relationship of two unemployed graduates of different religions and mentalities, M. T. Rao and Mary are the centerpiece. They pretend to be a married couple in order to gain employment in a high school established by Gopalam, the zamindar of Appapuram. Gopalam is unaware that Mary is Mahalakshmi, his missing elder daughter.

Simultaneously shot in Telugu and Tamil (as Missiamma) each have slightly different casts. The Telugu version features N. T. Rama Rao, Savitri, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Jamuna in the lead roles with S. V. Ranga Rao, Rushyendramani, Ramana Reddy and Relangi Venkata Ramaiah playing supporting roles. Gemini Ganesan, K. A. Thangavelu, M. N. Nambiar and K. Sarangkapani replace Rama Rao, Nageswara Rao, Ramana Reddy and Venkata Ramaiah respectively in the Tamil version.

Missamma was released on 12 January 1955, and Missiamma was released two days later during the Sankranthi season. Both versions were critically and commercially successful. The Telugu version has achieved cult status, with terms and phrases from the film being widely cited and serving as an inspiration for later Telugu film titles. The collective Missiamma and Missamma proved to be the major breakthrough in Jamuna's career. Missamma was remade into Hindi as Miss Mary by L. V. Prasad in 1957. The script was re-written and adapted as Pelli Pustakam in 1991 by Bapu, Mullapudi Venkata Ramana and Raavi Kondala Rao.

Synopsis

Gopalam, the zamindar of Appapuram, is the principal of the high school named after his elder daughter Mahalakshmi. When a child, she went missing during a pilgrimage to Kakinada. She was found and adopted by a Christian couple, Mr. and Mrs. Paul, who named her Mary.

Actors