Kalyan is an industrialist, whose conniving enemy Venkat Rayudu and his partners, replace him with his doppelgänger Johnny, an Mumbai-based auto driver. They manage to frame Kalyan for murder, but Johnny realizes Kalyan's innocence and saves him. The duo manages to prove Kalyan's innocence, and also defeat Venkat Rayudu and his partners.
Rowdy Alludu was conceived as a mass entertainer with a focus on commercial appeal.[2] Initially, Allu Ramalingaiah raised concerns about using the word "Rowdy" as a prefix in the title, but director K. Raghavendra Rao, lead actor Chiranjeevi, and writer Satyanand convinced him to retain the name.[2]
For the casting, Divya Bharati, a popular actress at the time, was signed for the role of Rekha, while Shobana was cast as Sita. The film was notable for being one of the first Telugu films to be shot in Switzerland. Due to budget constraints, the production team was limited in size, which required the producer, Allu Aravind, to take on additional roles, including serving as a costume and makeup assistant for Chiranjeevi. Shobana, meanwhile, handled her own makeup.[2]
The filming of the song "Chiluka Kshemama" was particularly challenging due to the limited crew. The actors and director improvised choreography based on the natural light and scenic locations during their three-day shoot. Key locations for the song included the Rhine Falls, the Interlaken Casino (where Yash Chopra's statue now stands), and Zurich.[2]
Reviewing its Tamil dubbed version Pokkiri Mappilai, K. Vijiyan of New Straits Times wrote that "director Raghavendra Rao has concentrated his efforts on pure entertainment with disco songs, sexy dances, beautiful actresses, lots of action and filming in the snow capped mountains of Switzerland".[5]
Box office
Rowdy Alludu was a "Blockbuster" at the box office and completed 100 days in almost every theatre it was shown.[6]
