Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam
| Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | P. Pullaiah |
| Produced by | V. Venkateswarlu |
| Written by |
Acharya Atreya (screenplay / dialogues) |
| Based on | Avatar of Lord Venkateswara (Balaji) |
| Starring |
N. T. Rama Rao Savitri |
| Music by | Pendyala Nageswara Rao |
| Cinematography | P. L. Roy |
| Edited by | K. A. Sriramulu |
Production company |
Padmasri Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 180 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam is 1960 Telugu mythological film, based on Lord Venkateswara Avatar at Tirumala, produced by V. Venkateswarlu under the Padmasri Pictures banner and directed by P. Pullaiah. It stars N. T. Rama Rao and Savitri in the lead roles, with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. The film was dubbed into Tamil and released as Srinivasa Kalyanam.
Plot
The film begins with the advent of Kaliyuga, the earth faces threats of all sorts. To reduce its burden, Saptharishis, helmed by Kasyapa Muni perform a Yagna, Narada Maharshi (P. Suribabu) arrives there and asks who the patron deity of the sacrifice is. Unable to answer, the sages send Bhrigu Maharshi (Gummadi) to test Trimurthi's. After testing Lord Siva (Vempati Pedha Satyam) & Brahma (A. V. Subba Rao Jr.) Bhrigu reaches Vaikuntha when the Lord Vishnu (N. T. Rama Rao) and his consort Lakshmi (S. Varalakshmi) are in a playful mood and ignore Bhrigu. Angered by this, Bhrigu kicks Vishnu on his chest. To pacify the sage, Vishnu held his legs and pressed the extra eye in his foot the symbol of his egotism, where the sage realized his folly and apologized to Vishnu. But Lakshmi gets upset. In anger, she leaves to earth, Vishnu goes in search of her and settles in an anthill without food & water. Taking pity on Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva assumed the forms of a cow and its calf to serve him. Lakshmi in the form of a cowherdess sold them to the king. Discovering Vishnu on the ant-hill, the cow provided its milk, and thus fed him. Meanwhile, at the palace, the cow was not yielding any milk, for which the queen chastised the royal cow herder Sarabha (Ramana Reddy) severely. To find out the cause, Sarabha follows the cow secretly and discovered the cow emptying her udder over the ant-hill. Angered Sarabha flung his axe to harm the cow. However, Vishnu rose from the ant-hill to receive the blow then he curses Sarabha to roam as a ghost until he forms as a deity at this place.
After that, Vishnu reaches to his ardent devotee Vakulamatha’s (Shanta Kumari) ashram and calls her as mother, she names him as Srinivasa and he starts staying with her. Once Srinivasa on a hunt chases a wild elephant. In its pursuit, he was led into a garden, where he meets Padmavati (Savitri), daughter of Aakasa Raju (A. V. Subba Rao) and both of them fall in love. After initial hesitation, Aakasa Raju and his wife Dharani Devi (Rushyendramani) agrees to their marriage. For the marriage expenses, Srinivasa takes debt from Kubera and promises to repay the loan with interest till the end of Kaliyuga. After the marriage, Sage Narada informed Lakshmi about the wedding, then fuming, Lakshmi confronts Vishnu and Padmavathi. The clash between his two consorts leads Vishnu and Srinivasa, to turn himself into a stone statue. Padmavathi and Lakshmi also become stone on his either side and Vakula Devi becomes a garland. Everyone feels happy that the deity was revealed as Swayambhu to protect the earth.
Generations Pass, Once a devotee called Bhavaji (Chittoor V. Nagaiah), arrives from North India and starts calling the Lord as Balaji. But he is not allowed to see the god and is thrown out of the temple. From that time the god visits every day to spend some time with him by playing dice. One day, in the game Balaji Lord loses his ornament in the bet. Next day, when the temple doors are opened, the ornament is missing. The King (Rajanala) arrives to conduct an interrogation and Bhavaji says the truth that God himself has given it to him. Everybody says that it's a cock & bull story, so the King makes a test to prove his innocence, keeping him in a prison full of sugar cane inside, and asks him to eat every bit of it before dawn. Lord Venkateswara arrives in the form of an elephant and finishes the sugar cane within moments, and disappears. In the morning, the king was surprised to see all the sugar cane eaten. From that day he becomes famous in the name of Hathiram Bhavaji and the entire authority of the temple is given to him. At last, generations go on passing and the number of devotees increasing to the temple. Finally, the movie ends by showing the Srivari Brahmotsavam.
Cast
- N. T. Rama Rao as Lord Vishnu / Srinivasa
- Savitri as Padmavathi
- S. Varalakshmi as Goddess Lakshmi
- Chittor V. Nagaiah as Hathiram Bhavaji
- Gummadi as Bhrigu Maharshi
- Relangi
- Ramana Reddy as Sarabha
- Rajanala
- Vangara
- Valluri Balakrishna
- Peketi Sivaram
- P. Suri Babu as Narada Maharshi
- Ghantasala as Guest role in the song
- A. V. Subba Rao as Akasa Raju
- A. V. Subba Rao Jr. as Lord Brahma
- Vempati Peda Satyam as Lord Siva
- Lanka Satyam as Yatrikudu
- Rushyendramani as Dhaaranidevi
- P. Santha Kumari as Vakula Devi
- Showkar Janaki as Yerukala Saani
- Surabhi Balasaraswathi as Sarabha's wife
- Sandhya as Goddess Saraswathi
Crew
- Art: S. V. S. Ramarao
- Choreography: Vempati
- Stills: Satyam
- Dialogues - Screenplay: Acharya Atreya
- Lyrics: Acharya Atreya, Aarudhra, Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry, Narapa Reddy
- Playback: Ghantsala, P. Susheela, P. Leela, Jikki, S. Janaki, Pithapuram, Madhavapeddi Satyam, Swarnalatha, Vaidehi
- Music: Pendyala Nageshwara Rao
- Editing: K. A. Sriramulu
- Cinematography: P. L. Roy
- Presenter: P. Santha Kumari
- Producer: V. Venkateswarlu
- Director: P. Pullaiah
- Banner: Padmasri Pictures
- Release Date: 9th January 1960
Soundtrack
| Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam | |
|---|---|
| Film score by Pendyala Nageshwara Rao | |
| Released | 1959 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Producer | Pendyala Nageshwara Rao |
Music composed by Pendyala Nageshwara Rao. Music released by Audio Company.
| S.No | Song Title | Lyrics | Singers | length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaya Jaya Jaganayaka | Malladi Ramakrishna Sastry | Chorus | 6:51 |
| 2 | Sridevini | Aarudhra | S. Varalakshmi | 3:17 |
| 3 | Pavanambayya | Narapa Reddy | Ghantsala | 0:44 |
| 4 | Kannula | Narapa Reddy | Madhavapeddi Satyam | 0:40 |
| 5 | Namo Narayanaya | Narapa Reddy | Madhavapeddi Satyam | 0:23 |
| 6 | Chilipi Chestala | Narapa Reddy | Ghantasala | 0:45 |
| 7 | Anyuledutanu | Narapa Reddy | P. Suri Babu | 0:39 |
| 8 | Ee Neradarana | Narapa Reddy | S. Varalakshmi | 0:47 |
| 9 | Varala Beramayya | Acharya Atreya | S. Varalakshmi | 3:02 |
| 10 | Chilako Chikkave | Acharya Atreya | Pithapuram, Swarnalatha | 2:09 |
| 11 | Gopaala Nandha Gopaala | Acharya Atreya | P. Santha Kumari | 3:49 |
| 12 | Ontivaadu | Narapa Reddy | Ghantasala | 0:40 |
| 13 | Naa Kutiramandu | Narapa Reddy | P. Santha Kumari | 0:52 |
| 14 | Giliginthalu | Acharya Atreya | P. Susheela, S. Janaki, Vaidehi | 5:24 |
| 15 | Evaro Atadevaro | Acharya Atreya | Ghantasala, P. Susheela | 4:14 |
| 16 | Chiru Chiru Nagavula | Acharya Atreya | P. Santha Kumari, Swarnalatha | 3:21 |
| 17 | Chinnari O Chiluka | Acharya Atreya | P. Susheela | 3:13 |
| 18 | Kalyana Vaibhavam | Acharya Atreya | P. Leela, Jikki | 5:27 |
| 19 | Sakala Kalyanabhusha | Narapa Reddy | Madhavapeddi Satyam | 0:37 |
| 20 | Velliraa Maathalli | Acharya Atreya | P. Leela, Vaidehi | 5:10 |
| 21 | Kalaga Kammanikalaga | Acharya Atreya | Ghantasala, P. Susheela | 3:25 |
| 22 | Kalayo | Narapa Reddy | P. Susheela | 0:39 |
| 23 | Ee Srinivasudu | Narapa Reddy | P. Suri Babu | 1:46 |
| 24 | Lakshmi Nivasa | Suprabhatam | Ghantasala | 0:49 |
| 25 | Vega Raava | Acharya Atreya | Madhavapeddi Satyam | 2:44 |
| 26 | Pahihare | Acharya Atreya | Madhavapeddi Satyam | 1:21 |
| 27 | Padave Podamu Gouri | Acharya Atreya | Madhavapeddi Satyam | 1:34 |
| 28 | Sesha Saila Vaasa | Acharya Atreya | Ghantasala | 3:03 |
Box office and Impact
It released with 20 prints and had a 100-day run in 16 centers and 175 days in Hyderabad and Vijayawada centers.[1][2]
The deification of Rama Rao began and his residence in Madras became a shrine for pilgrims, who would visit him after a trip to Tirupati. NTR fans used to wait in long queues outside his house for a darshan of their `living-god'. They used to apprise him of their problems back home in their villages and he listened to them patiently before rushing to the studio in the morning.[3][4]
1939 film
Sri Venkateswara Mahatmyam, titled as Balaji,[5] was first made by P. Pullaiah under the Famous Films banner in 1939. C. S. R. Anjaneyulu acted as Balaji and Santha Kumari as Padmavathi in the lead roles. The movie was among the successes of the early days of Pullaiah and Shanthakumari's married life.