Trivia of Sridevi & Krishna - A blockbuster pair after NTR-Savitri in Telugu Cinema

Before becoming the number one actress in Bollywood, Sridevi was a very busy actress in South India. She had many hits with all leading actors in Tamil and Telugu –NTR (Vetagadu, Kondaveeti Simham etc), ANR (Premabhishekam, Sri Ranga Neethulu etc), Sobhan Babu (Karthika Deepam, Devatha etc), Krishnam Raju (Trisulam). But it was with Superstar Krishna with whom she had the longest association.

From Burripalem Bullodu (1979) to Maharajasri Mayagadu (1988), they acted in several high profile movies and became one of the most bankable pairs of Telugu Cinema. There were several musical hits in their combination and their movies dealt with a broad range of ‘subjects’.

Movies in which they acted together:

           No. Movie Name | Date | Director

1. Burripalem Bullodu | 16/11/79 | B. Masthan Rao
2. Samajaniki Saval | 28/12/79 | S. P. Rajaram
3. Devudichina Koduku | 14/02/80 | K. S. R. Das
4. Gharana Donga | 29/03/80 | K. Raghavendra Rao
5. Mama Allulla Saval | 10/04/80 | K. S. R. Das
6. Adrushtavanthudu | 09/05/80 | G. P. Sekhar
7. Ram Robert Rahim | 31/05/80 | Vijaya Nirmala
8. Chuttalunnaru Jagratha | 08/08/80 | B. V. Prasad
9. Bangaru Bava | 31/12/80 | K. Subba Rao
10. Gurusishyulu | 21/03/81 | K. Bapayya
11. Bhoga Bhagyalu 05/06/81 P. Chandra Sekhar Reddy
12. Gadasari Attha Sogasari Kodalu | 20/06/81 | Katta Subba Rao
13. Bangaru Bhoomi | 14/01/82 | P. Chandra Sekhar Reddy
14. Bangaru Koduku | 19/02/82 | K. S. R. Das
15. Krishnarjunulu | 26/03/82 | Dasari Narayana Rao
16. Prema Nakshatram | 06/08/82 | P. Sambasiva Rao
17. Krishnavataram | 22/09/82 | Bapu
18. Shamsher Shankar 21/10/82 K.S.R.Das
19. Kalavari Samsaram 03/12/82 K. S. Rami Reddy
20. Oorantha Sankranti | 12/02/83 | Dasari Narayana Rao
21. Kirayi Kotigadu | 17/03/83 | A.Kodanda Rami Reddy
22. Adavi Simhalu 24/04/83 K.Raghavendra Rao
23. Ramarajyamlo Bheemaraju | 28/07/83 | A. Kodanda Rami Reddy
24. Kanchu Kagada | 28/09/84 | A. Kodanda Rami Reddy
25. Vajrayudham | 05/07/85 | K. Raghavendra Rao
26. Pachhani Kapuram | 07/09/85 | Thathineni Ramarao
27. Jayam Manade | 10/04/86 | K. Bapayya
28. Khaidi Rudraiah | 05/06/86 | A. Kodanda Rami Reddy
29. Makutamleni Maharaju | 13/03/87 | K. Bapayya
30. Maa Oori Magaadu | 30/10/87 | K. Bapayya
31. Maharajasree Mayagadu | 09/09/88 | K. Vijayabapineedu

• Krishna, the only mainstream hero in India to act with 4 actresses —Vijaya Nirmala, Jayaprada, Sridevi & Radha—in 30 or mores each. Amazingly, all his outings with the last three were made in Color, which is a record in Indian Film History

• Sridevi is the only actress to act in 3 consecutive movies twice with Krishna in a calendar year – Gharana Donga, Mama Allulla Saval, Adrushtavanthudu & Ram Robert Rahim in 1980 and Bangaru Bhoomi, Bangaru Koduku & Krishnarjunulu in 1982.

• Sridevi acted as Superstar Krishna’s daughter in Maa Nanna Nirdoshi.

• She played the role of his sister in the film Devudu Lanti Manishi.

• Sridevi acted as Krishna’s mother in the film Samajaniki Saval.

• Chuttalunnaru Jagrattha is the only film in their combination in which Krishna acted in dual roles.

• Producer S. P. Venkanna Babu used to manage the dates (call sheets) of both Krishna and Sridevi.

• Krishna went out of his way to accommodate the producers of Oorantha Sankranti and completed 2 songs with Sridevi in 3 days.

• Both movies – Krishnarjunulu & Oorantha Sankranti -in which they acted together with Director Dasari Narayana Rao are multi-starrers.

• S. R. Das, K. Bapayya and A. Kodanda Rami Reddy have each made 4 movies with the pair.

• Aswini Dutt, Middhe Rama Rao, N. Ramalingeswara Rao, T. Trivikrama Rao are the producers apart from S. P. Venkanna Babu, who produced multiple movies with them.

• 1982 (Vayyari Bhamalu Vagalamari Bharthalu) and 1983 (Mundhadugu) are the only years in which Sridevi was not paired with Krishna when acting in a multi-starrer movies.

• Samajaniki Saval, Ram Robert Rahim and Pachhani Kapuram are the only remakes in which they acted.

Opening week collections:

Three movies in their combination set new records when they debuted at the box-office.

1. Ram Robert Rahim INR 32,16,244
2. Adavi Simhalu INR 64,02,102
3. Kanchu Kagada INR 82,79,543

• Superstar Krishna and Sridevi are the only pair to have two consecutive direct 100 days films – Gharana Donga & Mama Allulla Saval and three direct 100 days films— Gharana Donga, Maama Allulla Saval and Chuttalunnaru Jagrattha – in a year (1980).

• Superstar Krishna and Sridevi are the first pair to act in two consecutive films –Vajrayudham and Pachhani Kapuram (1985) — that ran for 50 days in 9 or more centers after the AP State Government (undivided) introduced the slab taxation system

• Two color movies in their combination released in the same month (June) in a year (1981) and both ran for 50 days or more in the same Centre (Vijayawada) — Bhoga Bhagyalu at Shanthi (50 days) & Gadasari Attha Sogasari Kodalu at Urvashi (56 days).

• The two records above also make them the only lead pair in Telugu Cinema to have two consecutive 50 days movies in a single center anywhere in AP (undivided) both before the introduction of slab system and post that.

• They are the only pair to act in two color films in a calendar year from the same production house. They set this record in 1982 with Bangaru Bhoomi and Kalavari Samsaram, which were produced by P. Venkanna Babu on his Maheshwari Combines banner. Both movies ran for 50 days or more in 4 or more centers.

• Both films mentioned above ran with packed houses for 25 days or more in a single centre (Vizag) in AP thus setting up a fantastic record – Bangaru Bhoomi at Manorama (25 days) and Kalavari Samsaram at Chitralaya (28 days housefuls).

• Kirayi Kotigadu is the first film to run for 100 days (late release) in Nidadavolu.

• All movies they acted together with directors Raghavendra Rao and A. Kodanda Rami Reddy ran for 49 days or more in at least two centers in AP. This record will remain forever because the movies in these combinations covered both systems of taxation – slab and non slab.

• Krishna and Sridevi are the only lead pair in Telugu cinema to have a direct 50/direct 100 days film in a particular calendar month (March) for four consecutive years (1980-83)

              No. Name | Date

1. Gharana Donga | 29/03/80
2. Gurusishyulu | 21/03/81
3. Krishnarjunulu | 26/03/82
4. Kirayi Kotigadu | 17/03/83

• This is the only lead pair to have 3 successive color movies that ran for more than 48 days in a single center in a calendar year. They achieved this record in Hyderabad in 1980 — Gharana Donga (Subhash-48 days), Mama Allulla Saval (Basanth-70 days) & Adrushtavanthudu (Sudarshan 70).

[Credits : Telugu Cinema Blitz]