Kondaveeti Donga | |
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Film poster
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Directed by | A. Kodandarami Reddy |
Produced by | T. Trivikrama Rao |
Written by | Paruchuri Brothers (Dialogues) |
Screenplay by | Yandamuri Veerendranath |
Story by | Paruchuri Brothers |
Starring |
Chiranjeevi Vijayashanti Radha Sharada Mohan Babu Rao Gopal Rao Amrish Puri |
Music by | Illayaraja |
Cinematography | V. S. R. Swamy |
Edited by | Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao |
Production
company |
Prasad Studios
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Distributed by | Vijayalakshmi Art Movies |
Release date
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Running time
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2:31:00 |
Country | India |
Language | Telugu |
Kondaveeti Donga (English: The Thief of Kondaveedu) is a 1990 Telugu-language vigilante action film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy starring Chiranjeevi, Vijayashanti and Radha in key roles. Upon release the film received positive reviews, and emerged as a blockbuster. Subsequently, the film was dubbed into Tamil as Thangamalai Thirudan. The technically brilliant film was the first Telugu film to be released on a 70 mm 6-Track Stereophonic sound. The production design by Bhaskar Raju, with background score, and music by Illayaraja received positive reviews. The film had collected a distributors share of ₹ 7.4 million on its opening weekend.
An orphan Kondaveeti Raja M.A.,L.L.B.,I.A.S. (Chiranjeevi) is raised through the support of people living in the tribal village of Kondaveedu. Upon his return from Hyderabad, he witnesses the failed legal system, and the village being engulfed in political corruption, forgery, smuggling, money laundering, drug trafficking, land grabbing, and alcohol abuse carried out by the local mafia and landlords (Rao Gopal Rao, Mohan Babu & Khaadra (Amrish Puri)) who impose taxes on the farmers. Instead of being in the system and taking the direct route as an administrator himself, he transforms into Robin Hood for the village, and indulges in swashbuckling heists of money and paddy worth several crores from the landlords, while being in disguise, much to the frustration of corrupt officials. He funds the tribals into self-sustaining farmers, while providing food, irrigation, healthcare, shelter, and education to the poor, and transforms the village.