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Mayabazar

మాయాబజార్

K. V. Reddy · 1957

Synopsis

Sasirekha, daughter of Balarama, and Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, have been promised to each other since childhood and are in love. But Balarama, whose favourite disciple is Duryodhana, is won over by the cunning Shakuni, who wants to marry the girl to a Kaurava. Krishna then sets about bringing the lovers together with the help of Ghatotkacha, Bhima's son, a master of illusions, and the wedding palace becomes the stage for their tricks.

Context

The film, the eighth adaptation of the tale Sasirekha Parinayam and the first mythological film of the Vijaya studios, was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil with partly different casts. The preparation and distribution took nearly a year, and four hundred studio workers worked on it. N. T. Rama Rao, at first reluctant, played Krishna in it, a role he often reprised afterwards; Marcus Bartley achieved in it the first moonlight effect in Indian cinema.

Who it is for

Three hours in Telugu, with no French release, with twelve songs; it is worth knowing the figures of the Mahabharata.

Prizes and reception

Ranked among the hundred greatest Indian films by CNN-IBN in 2013 and voted by the public the best Indian film of all time.

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