Maya Bazaar

1957 192’ b&w Telugu/Tamil? d K.V. Reddy pc Vijaya s Chakrapani lyr Pingali Nagendra Rao c Marcus Bartley m Ghantasala Venkateshwara Rao lp N.T. Rama Rao, S.V. Ranga Rao, A. Nageshwara Rao[Te]/Gemini Ganesh[Ta], Relangi Venkatramaiah, Gummadi Venkateshwara Rao, K. Mukkamala, C.S.R. Anjaneyulu[Te]/M.N. Nambiar[Ta], Rajanala Nageshwara Rao, Vangara, Balakrishna, Savitri, Rushyendramani, Suryakantam, Chhaya Devi, Sandhya

Major Vijaya mythological following on from Reddy’s hit fantasy, Patala Bhairavi (1951). Taken from the Mahabharata, it tells the legend of Abhimanyu’s (Nageshwara Rao/ Gemini Ganesh) marriage to Sasirekha (Vatsala in the Tamil version) (Savitri), assisted by Bhima’s son Ghatotkacha (Ranga Rao) and opposed by the wily Shakuni (Anjaneyulu/ Nambiar) who wants Sasirekha to marry one of the Kauravas. The film featured NTR in his first role as the Hindu god Krishna and includes an early version of one of Indian cinema’s favourite special effects: magic arrows spewing fire and water. One of the musical highlights is the wedding feast number Vivaha bhojanam. The Tamil version was credited to Chakrapani’s direction, which had a slightly different cast, and some compositions by Saluri Rajeshwara Rao.

Film