Mahakavi Kshetrayya is a 1976 Telugu-language 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.
Contents
Plot
The film is based on the 17th-century poet Mahakavi Kshetrayya, a devotee of Krishna in the village of Muvva in present-day Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. According to legend, bells from Siva anklets plunge onto the earth. The first one forms a village, Muvva, and the second takes an avatar, Varadhayya. Though Varadhayya is born into a respectable scholar's family, he is illiterate till his teenage moves as a meander by intoning melody. Varadha loves his maternal uncle Sivaiah's daughter Rukmini. Besides, Bhama a Devadasi allures Varadha's tunes and showers her love on him, and her brother Pichaiah is a bestie of Varadha. Due to circumstances, Varadha relinquishes Rukmini or Bhama. Then a saint Siddhendra Yogi divulges that his life is dedicated to the Lord. At that juncture, Krishna appears to provide enlightenment & entrusts him to scripture his divinity as vocals & lyrics. Now, Varadha's songs become chart-topping when religious authorities affirm nastiness and ostracize him. However, on the advice of Siddhendra Yogi, Varadha starts his journey to learn the life secret when he is as eminent as Kshetrayya. Eventually, Tanisha of Golconda honors him as his poet, which he refuses courteously. So, infuriated, Tanisha seizes him and is freed by Bhama & Pichaiah. Later, Kshetrayya tours Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Srirangam, etc. and lands at Thanjavur.
King Vijaya Raghava Nayaka felicitates him with great honor, defeats all the poets in the province, and proclaims Rangajamma, the second spouse of 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 ensures the destruction of Thanjavur. In that plight, Rangajamma requests Kshetrayya to safeguard their heritage and hand over Prince Changamala Dasu. Now, Kshetrayya moves to Golkonda and solicits Tanisha to establish Changamala Dasu as the empire of Thanjavur. In return, he starts working for him. The advent of Kshetrayya irks court poet Tulasi Murthy when he challenges him to write 1000 verses in 40 days. Kshetrayya accepts it, on the verge, when Tulasi Murthy allures dancer Taaramathi, who ploys by seducing him via syrup. Just in time, Bhama rescues him. Siddhendra Yogi spots the two misconstrues & curses Bhama that females cannot participate in Kuchipudi. After coming into consciousness, Kshetrayya regrets his sin and is unfit to write the verses. Whereat, he seeks to endorse his duty when his aura is relieved, which successfully finishes the verses. Knowing it, Tulasi Murthy heists the verses, loses his eyesight as divine retribution, and bows his head down. At last, the Lord directs Kshetrayya to reach his native place, Muvva, as it is the time of his salvation. Finally, the movie ends with Kshetrayya transforming into a bell that conjoins with Siva's anklets at Kailasam.
Soundtrack
Music composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. Music released on EMI Columbia Audio Company.
Awards
The film won Nandi Award for Second Best Feature Film - Silver - P. Adinarayana Rao (1976)