Santha (1961 film)

Shanta is a naïve girl lusted by a landlord Rangaiah who attempts to molest her. Whereat, her father dies and she absconds but is clutched by a mobster Dayanidhi and skips from him too. Amid this, she is acquainted with an Advocate Srinivas a widower, who shelters her. Hereupon, his son Kumar assumes Shanta as his mother and she reciprocates with doting affection. Following, Srinivas endears Shanta, knits her, and the two have a son named Venu. On an occasion, Shanta is terrified to view Dayanidhi as Srinivas's friend but quiets. Next, Dayanidhi cabals to slay Srinivas via maid Rajyam who poisons him, but tragically, Kumar dies therein and Shanta is incriminated. Fierce Srinivas throws her out when Dayanidhi again tries to snatch, but she escapes and seeks to kill herself. Then, she hears the baby cry and spots her mother Shyamala who is victimized by Dayanidhi. Before dying, she entrusts the baby's responsibility to Shanta and she fosters her as Saroja. Once, Srinivas spots them and suspects Shanta’s chastity. Years roll by and destiny makes Venu & Saroja collegians and they crush. Srinivas denies it, by looking at Shanta who begs him by stating the fact but in vain. The rest of the story is about how the truth comes forward and the family is reunited.

• N. T. Rama Rao as Srinivas
• Anjali Devi as Shanta
• Kanta Rao
• Relangi
• Gummadi
• Chalam as Venu
• K. V. S. Sarma
• Balakrishna
• Krishna Kumari
• Suryakantham
• Chaya Devi
• Girija as Saroja
• Surabhi Balasaraswathi

Music composed by Ramesh Naidu.[2]

• Santha at IMDb