Mahakavi Kshetrayya
Mahakavi Kshetrayya is a 1976 Telugu, biographical film, based on the life of Kshetrayya, produced by P. Adinarayana Rao under the Anjali Pictures banner and directed by Adurthi Subba Rao & C. S. Rao. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao in the title role, with Anjali Devi, Manjula as female leads, and music also composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. Actually the film direction was started by veteran Adurthi Subba Rao but he had expired in the middle of the movie and director C. S. Rao completed the movie.
Plot
The film is based on the story of Mahakavi Kshetrayya, an advent devotee of Lord Krishna in the 17th century in the village of Movva in present-day Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. The film begins, two bells from Lord Siva anklets plunge on earth in which first one forms as a village Muvva and the second takes an avatar as a person Varadhayya. Though Varadhayya is born in a respectable scholars family he is uneducated and till his teenage moves as a meander by intoning melody. Varadha loves his maternal uncle Sivaiah's daughter Rukmini On the other side, Bhama a Devadasi allures to Varadha’s tunes and showers her love towards him. Bhama's brother Pichaiah is also a close friend to Varadha. Due to circumstances, Varadha is not able to marry either Rukmini or Bhama then he abuses the Lord. Here a saint Siddhendra Yogi explains that his life is dedicated for the Lord and preaches him a Mantra which he recites. At that juncture, Lord Krishna appears gives him enlightenment & entrusts to scripture his divinity as vocals & lyrics which he does so. Now Varadha's songs become chart-topping when religious authorities affirm nastiness in it and ostracize Varadha. Howbeit, on the advice of Siddhendra Yogi, Varadha starts his journey to learn the life secret when he eminent as Kshetrayya. Eventually, Tanisha of Golconda listens to his tunes and honors him as his court poet which he refuses courteously. So, angered Tanisha arrests him when Bhama & Pichaiah who are in search of Varadha releases him. Later, Kshetrayya tours Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Srirangam, etc and lands at Thanjavur.There, King Vijaya Raghava Nayaka felicitates Kshetrayya with great honor who defeats all the poets in the province and proclaims Rangajamma second wife Vijaya Raghava, a great poet as his analogous. During that time, Thanjavur has a rivalry with Madhurai when Kshetrayya tries to resolve their conflicts but fails and ensues as the destruction of Thanjavur. In that plight, Rangajamma requests Kshetrayya to safeguard their heritage and handovers the Prince Changamala Dasu. Right Now, Kshetrayya reaches Golkonda, solicits Tanisha to establish Changamala Dasu as the empire of Thanjavur as a return he is ready to stay permanently in his court. At present, both of them keep up their word, the advent of Kshetrayya irks another poet Tulasi Murthy. So, to know the eminence between two fires Tulasi Murthy challenges to write a 1000 verses in 40 days. Kshetrayya accepts it, almost in an edge to win when Tulasi Murthy uses court dancer Taaramathi who ploys by seducing him through a syrup. Just in time, Bhama enters and rescues him, spotting both of them, Siddhendra Yogi misunderstands & curses Bhama that female cannot participate in Kuchipudi. After coming into conscious Kshetrayya dies out to contrition as he committed a great sin and not eligible to complete the verses. At that moment, seeks him to endorse his duty when his aura is freed from the body which successfully finishes the verses. Being aware of it, Tulasi Murthy tries to steal the verses when he loses his eyesight as divine retribution and bows his head down. At last, Lord directs Kshetrayya to reach his native place Muvva as it is the time of his salvation. Finally, the movie ends Kshetrayya transforming into bell which conjoins with Lord Siva anklets at Kailasam.
Cast
- Akkineni Nageshwara Rao as Varadhayya
- Manjula as Bhama
- Anjali Devi as Rangajamma
- Kanta Rao as Vijaya Raghava Nayakudu
- Prabhakar Reddy as Golkonda Nawab Tanisha
- Dhulipala as Sivaiah
- Mukkamala
- Rao Gopal Rao as Tulasi Murthy
- Raja Babu as Pichaiah
- Giri Babu as Manaradeva
- Raavi Kondala Rao as Venkaiah
- P. J. Sharma as Siddhendra Yogi
- Sakshi Ranga Rao as Vikatakavi
- Mada as Wizard
- Gokina Rama Rao
- Hema Sundar
- Krishna Kumari as Vijaya Raghava Nayaka's wife
- Jayasudha as Taaramathi
- Prabha as Rukmini
- Hemalata as Varadaiah's mother
- Radha Kumari as Sivaiah's wife
- Baby Rohini as Lord Krishna
Crew
- Art: A. K. Sekhar, Vaali
- Choreography: Vempati Satyam, Heeralal
- Stills: Satyam
- Lyrics: Arudra, C. Narayana Reddy, Dasaradhi, Kshetragna
- Playback: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, V. Ramakrishna, Anand, Pithapuram
- Operative Cameraman: S. Gopal Reddy
- Writer: Arudra
- Editing: Kotagiri Gopala Rao
- Cinematography: V. S. R. Swamy
- Music - Producer: P. Adinarayana Rao
- Presenter: Anjali Devi
- Directors: C. S. Rao and Adurthi Subba Rao
- Banner: Anjali Pictures
- Release Date: 1976
Soundtrack
| S. No | Song Title | Lyrics | Singers | length |
| 1 | "Aa Repalleloni Gopaludanta" | Aarudhra | V. Ramakrishna | 3:54 |
| 2 | "Jaabilli Choosenu" | Dasaradhi | V. Ramakrishna, P. Susheela | 3:44 |
| 3 | "Yendu Yendani" | Aarudhra | P. Susheela | |
| 4 | "Sreepathi" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | 1:49 |
| 5 | "Eenllavale" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | |
| 6 | "Andarine Movitanaya" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | |
| 7 | "Iddari Sanduna" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | |
| 8 | "Nazarana" | C. Narayana Reddy | P. Susheela | |
| 9 | "Yetuvanti Mohamogani" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | |
| 10 | "Sri Manmahodeva" | Aarudhra | Pithapuram,P. Susheela,Anand | |
| 11 | "Vidajavru Gojjangi" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | |
| 12 | "Challagaa Nelakonavaiah" | Aarudhra | V. Ramakrishna | 2:04 |
| 13 | "Muddhu Pettalaevuraa" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | 1:02 |
| 14 | "Vadharaakapo" | Kshetrayya | V. Ramakrishna | 2:36 |
| 15 | "Aa Poddu Ee Poddu" | C. Narayana Reddy | SP Balu, P. Susheela | |
| 16 | "Meluko Kaviraja" | C. Narayana Reddy | SP Balu | 7:11 |
| 17 | "Ashta Vidhanayaka Lakhnamulu" | C. Narayana Reddy | SP Balu, P. Susheela |
Awards
- The film won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film.