Trisoolam

Ramu grows up in a village where those in power prefer ordinary people to stay poor and uneducated. An idealistic young man, he sets out to teach his neighbours and give them the means to stand up for themselves, and that mission brings him into direct conflict with the village landlord and his allies. K. Raghavendra Rao directed this social drama from a screenplay by Satyanand, adapted from the novel Jagriti. Krishnam Raju plays Ramu, heading a cast that includes Sridevi as Lakshmi, Jayasudha as Neeli and Radhika as Ramu's cousin Yadi, with Rao Gopal Rao, Gollapudi Maruti Rao, Prabhakar Reddy and Allu Ramalingaiah in support. K. V. Mahadevan composed the music to lyrics by Aathreya, and the songs 'Pellante Pandillu' and 'Raayini Aadadi Chesina' became big hits. Raghavendra Rao later remade the story in Hindi as Naya Kadam (1984), with Rajesh Khanna and Sridevi. The film brings Krishnam Raju and three leading actresses of the period together in a story about education as a path to freedom.