Director: Taraka Rama Rao Nandamuri
Writers: Samudrala Jr. (adaptation), Samudrala Jr. (dialogue)
Stars: Taraka Rama Rao Nandamuri, Jamuna, Rajanala and others
Genres: Musical | Drama | Fantasy | Romance
Release Date: 5 January 1962 (India)
The film opens with a fun song and dance number featuring a sister-duo accompanied by a lively drummer who then begins to tell his village-folk the “Gulebakawali Story.” I was immediately hooked. Then when the credits rolled and a kooky skeleton danced to adorable 60s music I knew it was going to be great!
I’ll see if I can summarize the story: Gulebakavali Katha is about the Pataliputra kingdom ruled by the gentle giant King Chandrasena, who has two wives. Due to jealousy, one of his wives asks her brother in the court, Vakraketu, to help her stop the other wives’ newly born from being favored and allowed to be an heir to the throne. Vakraketu bribes fortune tellers to convince the king that his son should really be killed because he will cause the king to later lose his eyesight and the ability to lead the kingdom effectively per his duty. Two guards are ordered to kill the baby in the forest, but they end up leaving the baby when caught by Lord Shiva (I think). A goatherder and his wife find the baby and raise it as their own. Years later, the baby (now named Vijayudu (NTR)), has some run-ins with the king and learns of his true identity. When the king goes blind, fortune tellers say that only the divine Gulebakavali flower will absorb the poison and restore the king’s eyesight. Vijayudu vows to find the flower and correct the problem he “caused” the king and the heartache his real mother has suffered. The rest of the movie is all about how brave and favored-by-the-gods Vijayudu goes on the search to find the divine flower while encountering many obstacles.
The movie is definitely a “mythological,” except that it was quite funny with quite a few WTF moments and humor sprinkled throughout. It seems quite unlike other “mythological” clips I’ve seen that were very serious, steeped in intricate folklore, and confusing for me as an outsider. Gulebakavali Katha is done very simply and theatrically with a melodramatic, fun touch. Everything is spelled out clearly to the viewer, and characters often pause to twirl their moustaches or let out evil laughs to add to the fun! It’s not supposed to be intellectual, but rather a fun folk/social tale. The film does not take itself too seriously, which I found so endearing. There are a few very silly fight sequences that put the silliness of modern southie film quarrels to shame. Smiley
My DVD was the KAD version from kaddvd.com, and I thought it was an excellent copy for such an old southie film. The black and white is very crisp, and surprisingly the sound is clear. I even wondered if the sound was being done live because the “dubbing” was matching perfectly with the actor’s mouths. Quite often there are distracting vertical lines running through the print, but that really was the only blemish.
In addition to being quite silly and entertaining, there was so much to LOOK at in this film. I felt just like I did gazing at the awe-inspiring Vyjayanthimala in Amrapali. Here, all the characters are constantly decked out head-to-toe in the most beautiful, shiny, sparkling jewelry and silken fabrics. Despite being in black and white, the patterns and shades are chosen carefully so that the contrast shows beautifully. I was constantly pausing the video to take a screencap and admire all the fabulous adornments. It really is worth a watch just for this alone. I’ve since learned that there are a TON of Telugu mythological movies from this period which are similar in “look,” so one could really gorge oneself on this if not careful.
My DVD was the KAD version from kaddvd.com, and I thought it was an excellent copy for such an old southie film. The black and white is very crisp, and surprisingly the sound is clear. I even wondered if the sound was being done live because the “dubbing” was matching perfectly with the actor’s mouths. Quite often there are distracting vertical lines running through the print, but that really was the only blemish.
In addition to being quite silly and entertaining, there was so much to LOOK at in this film. I felt just like I did gazing at the awe-inspiring Vyjayanthimala in Amrapali. Here, all the characters are constantly decked out head-to-toe in the most beautiful, shiny, sparkling jewelry and silken fabrics. Despite being in black and white, the patterns and shades are chosen carefully so that the contrast shows beautifully. I was constantly pausing the video to take a screencap and admire all the fabulous adornments. It really is worth a watch just for this alone. I’ve since learned that there are a TON of Telugu mythological movies from this period which are similar in “look,” so one could really gorge oneself on this if not careful.
This was my first NTR film, which I was very excited about. I understand NTR was practically a demigod during his lifetime. Apparently he starred in many, many devotional Telugu films in which he played Hindu gods, and his devoted fans in Andhra Pradesh would worship pictures of him dressed as his characters. He then went on to be Chief Minister of AP. (There’s a nice bio of him here: http://passionforcinema.com/ntr-%E2%80%93-the-pride-of-india/) My first assessment of him was that he has a goofy, feminine face and extremely odd pasty-white skin and creepy moustache. But he really grew on me by the film end! He can make an unlimited amount of expressions with his face and eyes, and at times he almost looks otherwordly, so I can see how was a perfect cast for mythological roles. Apparently he was a careful and methodical actor, as well.
I’ve always heard that NTR Jr., who is NTR’s grandson, looks soooo much like his grandfather. As I watched the film I couldn’t really see it at all, except for the big nose. But during a scene in which NTR hasn’t shaved for a while, it became really obvious. Check it out - especially the second picture!!
There is a whole long sequence with what I think was some sort of brothel or courtesan house in which the central courtesan challenges men to a dice game. At the end of the game, she frees a stuffed mouse that is chased by a stuffed cat...I think. Apparently all the men who play the game lose and are thrown in the house jail, but Vijayudu outtricks her and she vows to be a devoted wife to him. Cue to the uber-famous romantic "Nannu Dhochu Konduvate" song. Speaking of songs, there are many, many, many songs in this film.
