Antastulu (అంతస్తులు)
Antastulu (అంతస్తులు) is a 1965 Telugu-language drama film directed by V. Madhusudhan Rao and produced by V. B. Rajendra Prasad under the banner Jagapathi Art Productions, starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, and Krishna Kumari.1 It was released in India on May 27, 1965, and won the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu at the National Film Awards.1 • 2
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | May 27, 1965 (India)1 |
| Director / Producer | V. Madhusudhan Rao; V. B. Rajendra Prasad, Jagapathi Art Productions1 |
| Music | K. V. Mahadevan3 |
| Lead cast | Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, Krishna Kumari, Kongara Jaggaiah, Gummadi1 |
| Runtime / format | 3 h 2 m (182 min), black and white, mono sound1 |
| Awards | President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu (1965); Filmfare Best Telugu Film (1966)2 |
Spoilers
Plot
The story centers on Zamindar Raja Jaganatha Rao (Gummadi), an affluent landlord obsessed with discipline who punishes family members and workers alike for breaking his rules.3 According to the National Film Awards festival catalog, the zamindar had fathered an illegitimate daughter, Rani (Bhanumathi Ramakrishna), and abandoned her; as his end approaches he repents and enjoins his son Raghu (Akkineni Nageswara Rao) to restore Rani to a decent life.6 Raghu carries out his father's last wishes at grave risk to himself, and the self-respecting Rani plays a major part in saving the family from a murderous gang; having achieved human dignity, she is prevailed upon to take her rightful place in her father's palace rather than return to her life as a singer.6 A romantic thread runs through the film: Raghu cooks up many lies to woo Mala (Krishna Kumari), and when he develops real feelings she refuses to believe him, forcing him to work to win her trust.4
A fan-contributed synopsis on the Ghantasala song database adds that Savithri appears in a guest role as Rani's mother, whose spirit haunts the zamindar, and that the song "Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene" is picturized on that haunting.7
Production
The film was written with dialogues by Acharya Atreya, with screenplay credited to Javar Seetharaman and V. Madhusudhan Rao.3 • 4 C. Nageswara Rao handled cinematography and Satyam the editing.3 The supporting cast included Kongara Jaggaiah, G. Varalakshmi, Gummadi, Mikkilineni, Relangi Venkatramaiah, and Ramana Reddy.1 Playback singers on the soundtrack included Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, Madhavapeddi Satyam, and P. Susheela.5
Reception and legacy
The film received the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Telugu for 1965, credited to both producer V. B. Rajendra Prasad and director V. Madhusudhan Rao, and the Filmfare Award for Best Telugu Film in 1966.2 IMDb users have rated it 7.8 out of 10, based on 26 votes.1 The National Film Archive of India has digitized the film as part of its preservation program.8 It is currently available for streaming on the ETV Win and VZY platforms.9
References
- Antastulu (1965), IMDb
- Antastulu Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos, eTimes (Times of India)
- Antastulu, Best of Telugu Cinema
- Antastulu, Rotten Tomatoes
- Antastulu (1965) Full cast & crew, IMDb
- 13th National Film Awards catalogue, Directorate of Film Festivals
- Antastulu (1965) summary, Ghantasala.info
- List of Digitized Films, National Film Archive of India
- Antastulu streaming information, Komparify
Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Telugu films before 2000
Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026
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