Chechi (1950)

The Elder Sister

Release date : 15 February 1950

The on-screen adaptation of the highly successful theatre production from Oachira Parabrahmodayam Nadana Sabha, Chechi’s story was suitably modified for the silver screen, with Miss Kumari playing Radhika, the protagonist to perfection. A powerful statement against the social stigma (of immorality & wayward life) attributed to the theater artistes of the times, it also had a powerful emotional narrative woven around this central construct. The movie was also the debut of music director G. K. Venkatesh, playback singer T. A. Lakshmi and Ceci’s director T. Janakiram.

Songbook Cover

Movie Still from Chechi (1950)

Aranmula Ponnamma & Miss Kumari

More about the Movie

Miss Kumari	TR Omana
Aranmula Ponnamma	Cherthala Vasudeva Kurup
Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair	SA Fareed
SP Pillai	Vaikkom Raju
Miss Omana (NJ Mary)

Director	T Janaki Ram
Producer	Swami Narayanan
Banner	Kailas Pictures
Story	NP Chellappan Nair
Screenplay	NP Chellappan Nair
Dialogues	NP Chellappan Nair
Lyrics	Abhayadev, Traditional
Music	GK Venkitesh
Playback Singers	GK Venkitesh, Kalinga Rao, Kaviyoor CK Revamma, Mohanakumari, TA Lakshmi, VN Rajan
Editing	PG Mohan

Copyrights & Courtesy : The Hindu ( B Vijayakumar’s MetroPlus Kochi Column)

Radhika (Miss Kumari) is a popular stage actress. The society is suspicious of her morality and rumours are spread about her personal life. Radhika entrusts her younger sister Malathi (Omana) with the landlord Singapore Gopalan (K. S. Krishna Pillai) requesting him to look after her and leaves to another town. Radhika wanted to keep her sister away from the rumours and disgrace heaped on her because she chose an acting career. Malathi grows up under the guardianship of Gopalan without knowing that her elder sister is a stage actress.

Radhika joins the drama troupe owned by Ratheesh (Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair). Ratheesh blackmails Radhika with the threat of disclosing the truth about her to Malathi. This was one of his nasty tricks to win over Radhika. The hero of the troupe Prafullachandran (Cherthala Vasudeva Kurup) is in love with Radhika. Having failed in his attempts to win her heart, Ratheesh manages to influence Kanakam (Aranmula Ponnamma), wife of Gopalan and succeeds in his plan to stay with the family of the landlord.

Malathi falls in love with Vasantha Kumar (G. N. Raju) son of Gopalan. But Ratheesh poisons Vasantha Kumar’s mind with stories about the private life of Malathi’s sister Radhika. Malathi is abandoned by her lover and she leaves the landlord’s home in search of her sister. When Malathi comes to know about the facts from Radhika , her anger and hatred against her elder sister melts. Radhika pleads to Vasantha Kumar to marry Malathi, but he refuses. Ratheesh attempts to murder Vasantha Kumar to usurp his wealth. Prafulla Chandran intervenes in time and saves Vasantha Kumar’s life. Thinking that the allegations about her life ruined the life of her sister, Radhika decides to end her life and sends her last words in a note to Malathi. All of them rush and manage to save Radhika’s life. They now come to know about the tricks played by Ratheesh and misunderstandings are cleared. Radhika marries Prafulla Chandran, and Malathi marries Vasantha Kumar.