Badi Panthulu (transl. School Teacher) is a 1972 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by P. Perraju under the Triveni Productions banner and directed by P. Chandrasekhara Reddy. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Anjali Devi, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. It is a remake of the Kannada film School Master (1958). The film was released on 22 November 1972 and became a commercial success, with Rama Rao winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu.
Plot
The film begins in a village where a noble schoolteacher, Raghava Rao, lives with his ideal wife, Janaki, and three children, Satyam, Venu & Lakshmi. He toils their wild school into the ideal, especially an impish boy, Ramu, who becomes his admirer. Eventually, black-hearted president Papa Rao envies Raghava Rao's supremacy, which hurdles his trespasses. So, he sets fire to his house when the school children unitedly construct it, showering their adoration on him.
Years roll by, and Satyam & Venu proceed to higher education, which compels Raghava Rao to access credit from Papa Rao. For now, Satyam knits Papa Rao's daughter Shanti, and Venu espouses a well-off Jaya without intel of their parents'. After a while, Raghava Rao fixes a match for his daughter Lakshmi with Pichaiah, the son of a stingy Panakalu, and gets a mortgage on his house. Just before the wedding, Papa Rao flubs for his debt. So, to sustain his honor, Raghava Rao imparted the dowry. Learning it, Panakalu makes a fuss when defamed Raghava Rao endorses a promissory note and accomplishes the nuptial. Anyhow, sly Panakalu detaches the newlyweds.
Following this, the progeny forsakes Raghava Rao's couple, and he gets sicker when he retires. They have no choice except to live with their children, who split them. Next, Papa Rao auctions the house when Ramu buys it. Meanwhile, the couple endures the detachment and the negligence of their children. Further, Papa Rao lands, denouncing Raghava Rao for theft, which he cannot take, and quits. Besides, Janakamma, who breaks her brooks, also proceeds. The two meet when Raghava Rao is apprehended as Papa Rao files a case. Fortunately, Ramu appears as a police officer, retrieving them to their house. He bestows it to his mentor as gratitude with his Radha. Parallelly, Venu & Satyam reform, and Pichaiah rectifies his father. At last, they all move and seek pardon. Finally, the movie ends on a happy note with the family's reunion.
