In the 1960s, THIS was the first film to ever be shot in Visakhapatnam

Both passionate and devastating, the tales of star-crossed lovers never fail to capture hearts. In 1962, a film echoed one such ill-fated love story, where a young and charming Akkineni Nageshwara Rao and debutant actress Krishna Kumari played the lead roles. The pair acted out a dreamy romance against the hazy hills and natural, breezy beaches of a seaside town, that made its first appearance on the silver screen through this cinema. The movie was Kulagothralu, and it was the first film to ever be shot in Visakhapatnam in 1961!

The movie tells the story of Ravi (played by Akkineni Nageshwara Rao), the son of Bhushayya, a rich landlord, who sends his son to Visakhapatnam to get a good education. It is here that Ravi meets Saroja, a final-year medical student, whose father is a robber, and whose status is absolutely unacceptable to Ravi’s family. Ravi, however, is resolved to marry Saroja, and is excommunicated from his family to do so. The rest of the movie centres on the journey of reconciliation of Ravi and his father.

In this movie, Vizag had its own part – especially in the blossoming romance between Ravi and Saroja. Love filled the air as the couple flirted at the Waltair Railway Station, played hide-and-seek on the rocky formations of Ramakrishna Beach, chased each other through thickets of coconut trees, and embraced atop the Dolhin’s Nose Lighthouse, with the endless ocean behind them.

Saroja is seen jokingly naming Ravi the ‘Vasco De Gama’ of Vizag when he introduces her to a spot where all the lovebirds in the city go.

Andhra University also makes an appearance, as both characters are portrayed as students there.

Even the railway lines near Waltair Station were filmed. “I remember seeing the song on the beach in Vizag and the scene shooting on the train tracks.” said one user about it on X.

Possibly, the user is talking about this scene:

The first film shot in Visakhapatnam, Kulagothralu was a well-received movie. Following its entry into theatres the film ran for 100 days in Ramakrishna Theater in Visakhapatnam. It also made the same impact at Alankar Theatre in Vijayawada, Sri Lakshmi Picture Palace in Guntur, Kumari Theatre in Rajahmundry, and Seshamahal in Nellore, where it ran for 97 days. The film received the Certificate of Merit as the Second Best Film in Telugu at the State Awards for Films in 1963.

It is important to know the context of this film, as it was made when caste representation in Indian cinema was predominant, in the aftermath of the Indian Independence Movement and Gandhian reforms.

Several comedy interludes featuring Relangi Venkatramaiah were in the movie, which also established Krishna Kumari as a major Telugu star. Krishna Kumari had reportedly mentioned Kulagothralu, among others, as one of her favourite films to many.  Other notable names included P Susheela and Madhavappedi Satyam, who were playback singers in this film!

Since its first feature in Kulagothralu, Visakhapatnam has come a long way in terms of the parts it plays in movies. Renowned places like Araku Valley, AU and GITAM University campuses, Erra Matti Dibbalu in Bheemli have become scenic movie shooting locations preferred by filmmakers today.

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