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`Soggadu’ with style and substance
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For a long time to come, Sobhanbabu will be remembered for his style and substance
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Sobhanbabu
The groundswell of expression of fondness after the untimely death of 71-year-old Sobhanbabu last week stands testimony to the impression he had left behind on a generation of cine goers. For someone who stayed away from arc lights for more than a decade calling it quits when the going was good, the image of a debonair Sobhanbabu known for his killer looks, discipline and a string of hits remained etched in the memory of film buffs.
Making his mark in the title role in the mythological Veerabhimanyu starring alongside greats like NTR, the dashing hero had his share of mythological roles later too. He is Krishna in Bapu’s Buddhimanthudu and Rama in Sampoornaramayanam.
He acted in several films made on the basis of novels and one of the early films was Tasildarugari Ammayi based on the novel Vidhivinyasalu in which the actor played a dual role, that of father and son. With the success of the film, several roles in novels came his way. “Jeevanatarangalu,” “Chakravakam,” are among them. In Balipeetham, he is the ideological husband in an inter-caste marriage
Quite early in his career, he took his chances and did not demur from playing roles with a negative touch. In yet another dual role, in Manavudu-Danavudu, he is a doctor and an avenging Jagan whose staccato ‘understand’ was a rage with the youth. His tryst with characters that are not run-of-the mill continued when he played a talented, dark complexioned poet in Chellelikapuram. When action films were ruling the roost, his portrayal of a family man endeared him to the audience, particularly women. In Manchimanushulu, a remake of Aa Gale Lag Ja, he paired with glamour doll Manjula playing estranged lover, affectionate father of a disabled boy singing the catchy lyrics of Atreya. It was a smash hit. Then came Soggadu, a film that is forever to remain synonymous with Sobhanbabu. Playing a role that is quite contrary to his urbane, refined image, Sobhanbabu lived the role to perfection. So much so quite a few dailies prefixed the film to headlines on his death. His pairing with Jayachitra and Jayasudha in the film perhaps started the trend of his having two heroines. He steadfastly refused to appear in public and even did not attend the platinum jubilee of the Telugu film industry. He perhaps was also the odd man out as far as producing films is concerned. But the industry and fans loved him for what he was. For a long time to come, Sobhanbabu will be remembered not only for his style but for the substance as well.
G.V. PRASADA SARMA
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Metro Plus
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