Seethakoka Chilaka (transl. Butterfly) is a 1981 Indian Telugu-language romance film directed by Bharathiraja. The film was produced by Edida Nageswara Rao on Poornodaya Movie Creations banner and was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Alaigal Oivathillai.[1]Karthik (credited as Murali) played the lead role in both versions of the film, alongside Mucherla Aruna in this version, marking the career debut for both actors. The film won five Nandi Awards.
Raghu, a young man from a village, spends his days roaming with his friends, teasing girls in the area. One day, a new resident, Karuna, arrives in the village. Raghu and his friends initially make mischief with her, but upon discovering that she is the sister of the feared David, they become wary of her. Raghu’s mother, a classical music teacher, begins instructing Karuna, who wishes to learn classical singing. Over time, Raghu and Karuna fall in love.
However, their relationship faces opposition due to religious and social differences. Karuna is a Christian, while Raghu is a Hindu. Additionally, David, Karuna’s brother, is a feared figure in the village and may act violently if he discovers their love. Despite the societal and familial disapproval, Raghu and Karuna continue their relationship. Eventually, they decide to leave the village, choosing to escape the constraints of their community and pursue their love freely, akin to butterflies, symbolizing their desire for freedom, as reflected in the film’s title, Seethakoka Chilaka.
Cast
Karthik (credited by his stage name Murali) as Raghu
After Edida Nageswara Rao liked the story of the Tamil film Alaigal Oivathillai (1981), which had been filming for a few days, he arranged for the film to be made in Telugu as well. Karthik, the lead of Alaigal Oivathillai, was retained in the same role and was credited as Murali.[3] Silk Smitha, who played a major role in Tamil, repeated her role in Telugu.[4]
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by Veturi.[5] The songs were chartbusters especially "Maate Manthramu".[3]
