Amrutham (TV series)
Amrutham (lit. 'Elixir') is an Indian Telugu-language television sitcom created and produced by Gunnam Gangaraju. The show originally aired on Gemini TV from 18 November 2001 to 18 November 2007, running for six years with a total of 313 episodes. It is widely regarded as the greatest Telugu comedy TV series of all time.[8] The show, known for its clean and family-friendly humour, satirized a wide range of topics, including soap operas, films, competitive exams, superstitions, game shows, and politics.[2] The show centers on four characters: Amrutha Rao and Anjaneyulu (Gundu Hanumantha Rao), childhood friends who own the Amrutha Vilas restaurant in Hyderabad; Sarvam (Vasu Inturi), a cook and server from Tamil Nadu who works for them; and their greedy landlord, Appaji (Sivannarayana), who frequently imposes unfair penalties. Amrutha Rao and Anjaneyulu often come up with quirky ideas to grow their business, but always end up failing in amusing ways. The role of Amrutha Rao was first played by Sivaji Raja, then Naresh, and ultimately by Harsha Vardhan, who appeared in over 200 of the show's 313 episodes.[9] Most episodes were written by Gunnam Gangaraju, along with Vasu Inturi, who also played the role of Sarvam. The show's title song was composed and sung by Kalyani Malik, with lyrics by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry. Several notable film technicians, such as director Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, cinematographer K. K. Senthil Kumar, production designer S. Ravinder, and music composer Kalyani Malik worked on the show in the early stages of their careers.[10] Amrutham originally aired every Sunday at 8 PM on Gemini TV. In the early 2000s, it stood out as a refreshing sitcom amidst the dominance of melodramatic soap operas, earning praise as a "phenomenon" and becoming one of Telugu television's most successful shows.[11] The series ended at its peak due to challenges with new ideas and writers but was re-telecast multiple times, maintaining high ratings. A spin-off film, Amrutham Chandamamalo, was released in 2014, and a sequel series, Amrutham Dhvitheeyam, streamed on ZEE5 from 2020 to 2021.[12] PremiseThe show revolves around two friends — Amrutha Rao "Amrutham" and Anjaneyulu "Anji" — who decide to start a restaurant named Amrutha Vilas, after Amrutham gets fired from his job as an assistant manager at Bow Bow Biscuits by his boss Ambhujanabham. Sarvam is the waiter at Amrutha Vilas and is a migrant from Tamil Nadu.[13][14] Appaji, the landlord of the plot of Amrutha Vilas and the residences of Amrutham and Anji, is a miser who subjects his tenants to unreasonable penalties. He wears colourful shirts and an ancestral gold belt. Amrutham's wife Sanjeevani is a gullible and ambitious woman. Anji's wife Santha works in the accounts section of a Government corporation and also helps him in his business occasionally. The sitcom focuses on the hilarious consequences they face from the quirky money-making ideas of Anji.[15][14] Cast and charactersMain
Recurring
ProductionDevelopmentGunnam Gangaraju, along with his friend Venkat Dega, a doctor in Canterbury, UK, founded the company 'Just Yellow' which started off as an IT services firm and later ventured into TV and film production. Their first project under the 'Just Yellow' banner was Amrutham. Gangaraju was the creator of the show as well as the producer.[17] There were reports that veteran film producers like D. Ramanaidu and K. S. Rama Rao cautioned Gangaraju against producing a TV show as it might not be financially viable.[10] After filming seven episodes, they pitched the show to various TV channels and finally got a slot on Gemini TV.[18] CastThe show was originally launched with Sivaji Raja as Amrutha Rao "Amrutham", Gundu Hanumantha Rao as Anjaneyulu "Anji", Sivannarayana as Appaji, Vasu Inturi as Sarvam in the lead roles. Besides Sivaji Raja, Naresh also played the character Amrutha Rao for a few episodes before Harsha Vardhan took over and played the character in over 200 episodes out of the total 313 episodes. Ragini played Santha (Anjaneyulu's wife), while Jhansi, Uma Mahanthi, Anita Chowdary, and Supraja played Sanjeevani aka "Sanju" (Amrutham's wife) at various points.[16][10] Sivaji Raja, who initially portrayed the lead character Amrutha Rao, had a major fallout with the show's creators. Gunnam Gangaraju publicly criticized him as "a sick and greedy man," accusing Raja of unprofessional behaviour and tantrums.[19] Sivaji Raja filed a complaint with the 'Association of Telugu TV Artistes,' claiming he wasn't adequately paid. As a result, the association banned other actors from participating in Amrutham. The show continued without the characters Amrutha Rao and his wife for four months, until the ban was lifted. Sivaji Raja was then replaced by Naresh, with whom the production ran smoothly. However, due to budget cuts following Gemini TV's tariff hike, Naresh was eventually replaced by Harsha Vardhan.[19] Gundu Hanumantha Rao who played 'Anji' had to reportedly leave nearly 30 film offers to continue working on Amrutham.[10] After Hanumantha Rao's death in 2018, noted comedian L. B. Sriram played the role of Anji in the sequel, Amrutham Dhvitheeyam.[20] Costumer designer and stylist Rama Rajamouli, cousin of the show creator and producer Gunnam Gangaraju,[21] played various small roles in the initial episodes of the show. She played a newsreader in one episode, a homemaker in another one.[16] CrewChandra Sekhar Yeleti, who is also Gangaraju's cousin, directed the first 10 episodes.[19] The serial had eleven debutant directors the most notable among them being Chandra Sekhar Yeleti.[22] Director Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, cinematographer K. K. Senthil Kumar,[10] production designer S. Ravinder, and music composer Kalyani Malik who would later become established film technicians worked in Amrutham in the beginning phase of their career.[23] Senthil worked as a cinematographer for 13 episodes.[24] Comedian Satya worked as an assistant director.[25] Writing
— Gunnam Gangaraju on the reason for the cancellation of Amrutham[22]
Gunnam Gangaraju, the creator and producer of the show, wrote most of the episodes along with Vasu Inturi who also played the role of Sarvam.[22] The show only had a few lead characters — Amrutham, Anji, Sarvam, and Appaji with the rest of the characters having occasional appearances, as the creator Gangaraju could not write a larger number of characters.[10] Amrutham is especially noted for its clean, family-friendly humour and its satirical takes on everyday issues.[20][26] The topics of satire are pretty diverse — soap operas, popular films, competitive exams, superstitions, game shows, contemporary politics, current affairs etc.[2][27] Gangaraju mentioned that there was a dearth of writers for the show. As he was burnt out as a writer, he advertised for new writers with a remuneration that is five times the industry standard at the time. As the response for new writers was not satisfactory and the original writers were exhausted of ideas, the show had to be cancelled even though it was at its peak in the weekly ratings.[22] MusicThe title track is composed and sung by Kalyani Malik.[23] The lyrics were penned by Sirivennela Sitarama Sastry. Neeshita Nyayapati of Times of India noted in 2017, "The title song, sung by Kalyani Malik, is still one of the most iconic title songs that Telugu television has ever created."[28]
Episodes
ThemesAmrutham is celebrated for its humorous and satirical portrayal of middle-class life, combining everyday struggles with sharp social commentary. The show addresses a wide range of topics, including societal norms, superstitions, education, and media culture, all while maintaining its family-friendly appeal. A central theme of the series is the relatable challenges of middle-class existence, such as financial difficulties, societal expectations, and modest ambitions. The comedic dynamic between Amrutham and his business partner Anji brings out the humour in mundane situations, like managing their struggling restaurant or navigating interactions with their eccentric landlord.[2] The series is celebrated for its sharp satire, often critiquing cultural practices and traditions. Episodes such as Muggu Gumma and Amma! Anakondamma address issues like gender roles and the exploitation of superstitions with a humorous twist, making these topics approachable and entertaining. Education and modernity frequently feature in the series, with episodes like Aam Set poking fun at the intense pressure of competitive exams, and others highlighting the quirks of technological adoption.[2] Amrutham also excels in its absurdist humour, presenting ridiculous yet relatable scenarios. From adopting an earthworm to lift a family curse to dealing with a constipated cow during a housewarming ceremony, the series features some outlandish premises. The show’s commentary extends to media culture, as seen in episodes like Raktha Bandham and Brathuke Oka Serial, which parody the melodrama and stereotypes of soap operas and television shows.[2] ReleaseBroadcastAmrutham originally aired on Gemini TV every Sunday on prime time 8:30 PM slot for exactly six years.[1] The first episode Go Gruha Pravesam aired on 18 November 2001 while the final episode Tata Bye Bye Veedkolu aired on 18 November 2007.[31][32] The serial had over 100 hours of content divided into 313 episodes.[22] Syndication and streamingAmrutham was re-telecasted multiple times on various TV channels and garnered good ratings each time.[7][33] After the end of its original run on Gemini TV, Zee Telugu acquired the telecast rights of the show and broadcast it as a daily serial beginning from 26 November 2007, only a week after the end of its original broadcast on Gemini TV. It ran from Monday to Thursday in the prime time 9:00 PM slot.[34] Later, it was broadcast on Maa TV in the weekend days at 7:00 PM. After that, its rights were again acquired by Gemini TV which telecasted it as a daily serial from Monday to Friday at 10:30 PM.[35] Later, it was broadcast on Maa Gold as a daily serial in the 10:00 PM slot. Then, ETV Plus broadcast it as a daily serial from Monday to Friday at 9:30 PM. As of July 2017, it was being telecast as a daily serial on ETV Plus from Monday to Saturday at 6:00 PM.[36] All the episodes of Amrutham were uploaded on YouTube by the production house Just Yellow Media.[33] It was highly successful and garnered a total of 250 million views.[37] Later, ZEE5 acquired the digital rights of the series and Amrutham was removed from YouTube by Just Yellow Media.[12] Reception and impact
— Gunnam Gangaraju in 2006, explaining the reasons for the success of Amrutham[38]
The show was an instant success.[19] It garnered high TRP ratings throughout its run of six years.[4][5][6] Gangaraju mentioned that Amrutham was cancelled by choice when it was at its peak as they were exhausted of ideas.[22] It is widely considered to be among the greatest Telugu comedy TV series of all time.[8] After the end of its original run, Idlebrain.com noted, "When soaps were mostly women-oriented, Amrutham came as a breath of fresh air with four male characters in the lead. Amrutha Vilas became a household name in Andhra Pradesh and all the characters Amrutha Rao, Anji, Appaji, and Sarvam became lovable characters and the viewers waited to watch them in every episode."[34] In 2020, director S. S. Rajamouli wrote about the show, "19 years ago, when tear-jerking daily soaps were ruling the roost, it took guts and conviction of one man to come up with a comedy show breaking all norms. What a success story from its ever unsuccessful heroes Anji and Amrutha Rao. True to its name Amrutham made a mark in the hearts of Telugus across the globe."[39] Awards and nominations
FutureA spin-off film titled Amrutham Chandamamalo was released in 2014.[43] Amrutham Dhvitheeyam, directed by Gunnam Sandeep, was broadcast on ZEE5 during 2021-22.[44] References
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