Balaram Krishnudu (1992)

Feudal family drama with a rural background. Balaramaiah (Shobhan Babu) and Krishna Murthi (Rajasekhar) are step-brothers who become sworn enemies as a result of a misunderstanding caused by the film’s villain (Gollapudi). Balaramaiah is the village head and temple trustee, and holds his half-brother in contempt for having been born to a lowercaste ‘untouchable’ woman. Krishna Murthi however saves the former’s daughter from an attempted rape. Later Krishna Murthi’s sister dies trying to prevent the same woman from being kidnapped. The brothers finally reunite after Balaramaiah’s wife reminds him of his debts to Krishna Murthi and his family. The two half-brothers, depicted as rival feudal patriarchs, allow the caste aspect to surface only towards the film’s end, although hints are presented throughout the plot.