Subhalekha is a 1982 Telugu-language comedy-drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by Allu Aravind and V. V. Sastry under Prasanthi Creations, the film stars Chiranjeevi and Sumalata, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film addresses the social issue of dowry and emphasizes the dignity of labour, delivering a strong message against the dowry system.

Plot

Narasimha Murthy (Chiranjeevi) is a multi-talented individual working as a waiter at a star hotel (filming location: Dolphin Hotel, Visakhapatnam) due to his inability to pass his B.A. exams. He befriends Sujatha (Sumalatha), a lecturer at a college owned by councilor Ankella Adiseshayya (Satyanarayana). When Adiseshayya and his elder son Mohan (Girish) visit Sujatha's home with a marriage proposal, Sujatha objects to Adiseshayya's excessive dowry demands, leading to a heated argument. This defiance strains Sujatha's relationship with her parents, who fear social ostracism. Adiseshayya retaliates by dismissing Sujatha from her job.