This post is part movie review, part Virata Parva episodes.
Of all the Indian movies (well, Telugu and Tamil mostly) on the epics, I like Narthanasala the most. Karna in Tamil comes close, primarily due to Sivaji Ganesan. Many other potentially good performances are wasted due to bad casting. Also, too much DMK-style dialogues, a reflection on the politics-cinema cross pollination during the time.
And I wonder why none of the Mahabharata movies has a good actor in the role of Bhima - not even in Narthanasala. It's usually some physically huge fellow that looks deliberately dim-witted, making the powerful character a laughing stock. More on Bhima later.
Narthanasala wins out for the several great performances - from SV Ranga Rao as Keechaka, NT Rama Rao as Arjuna, the incomparable Savithri as Draupadi. While I didn't understand all the dialogues, the familiar story carried me through.
In the Virata Parva of the Mahabharata, the Pandavas are in the 13th year of their exile. They are required to be incognito, and if caught, would be required to repeat the 13 years. The Pandavas and Draupadi pretend to be civilians and decide to stay in Matsya, ruled by King Virata.
(By the way, there are ancient temples in Pakistan, in a location of importance to the Mahabharata. Chakwal is the region they are supposed to have spent their first 12 years in exile. Katasraj Temples: Wikipedia.)
Yudhishtira acts as a scholar/astrologer (?), Bhima as a cook/kitchen aide, Arjuna as a eunuch/dancer, Nakula as a keeper of the horses (?), and not sure about Sahadeva.
Arjuna is aided by a curse from Urvashi - that he must serve as a eunuch for a year. So, he chooses to turn a eunuch for the 13th year and is employed in teaching dance (learned from Urvashi I think) to Virata's daughter Uttara. NT Rama Rao does a good job as Arjuna in Narthanasala. At the end of the 13 years, Arjuna helps the Matsya kingdom defeat the Kaurava attack, thus revealing himself. When Virata comes to know of their identities, he proposes his daughter in marriage to Arjuna, but Arjuna refuses (since he has taught her, he is like a father to her). She is instead married to Abhimanyu.Not sure if Uttara is Abhimanyu's first wife, or if it is Subhadra.
While NTR does a good job, the best performances are definitely by SVR and Savithri. SVR's monologue in front of the mirror, and his subsequent intoxicated dialogues with Savithri are legendary.
Watch Narthansala if you haven't already - even if you don't follow Telugu too well (I don't)! The entire movie is available in Youtube, in parts.
And I wonder why none of the Mahabharata movies has a good actor in the role of Bhima - not even in Narthanasala. It's usually some physically huge fellow that looks deliberately dim-witted, making the powerful character a laughing stock. More on Bhima later.
Narthanasala wins out for the several great performances - from SV Ranga Rao as Keechaka, NT Rama Rao as Arjuna, the incomparable Savithri as Draupadi. While I didn't understand all the dialogues, the familiar story carried me through.
In the Virata Parva of the Mahabharata, the Pandavas are in the 13th year of their exile. They are required to be incognito, and if caught, would be required to repeat the 13 years. The Pandavas and Draupadi pretend to be civilians and decide to stay in Matsya, ruled by King Virata.
(By the way, there are ancient temples in Pakistan, in a location of importance to the Mahabharata. Chakwal is the region they are supposed to have spent their first 12 years in exile. Katasraj Temples: Wikipedia.)
Yudhishtira acts as a scholar/astrologer (?), Bhima as a cook/kitchen aide, Arjuna as a eunuch/dancer, Nakula as a keeper of the horses (?), and not sure about Sahadeva.
Arjuna is aided by a curse from Urvashi - that he must serve as a eunuch for a year. So, he chooses to turn a eunuch for the 13th year and is employed in teaching dance (learned from Urvashi I think) to Virata's daughter Uttara. NT Rama Rao does a good job as Arjuna in Narthanasala. At the end of the 13 years, Arjuna helps the Matsya kingdom defeat the Kaurava attack, thus revealing himself. When Virata comes to know of their identities, he proposes his daughter in marriage to Arjuna, but Arjuna refuses (since he has taught her, he is like a father to her). She is instead married to Abhimanyu.
While NTR does a good job, the best performances are definitely by SVR and Savithri. SVR's monologue in front of the mirror, and his subsequent intoxicated dialogues with Savithri are legendary.
Watch Narthansala if you haven't already - even if you don't follow Telugu too well (I don't)! The entire movie is available in Youtube, in parts.
I don't know about Tamil movies, but a lot of good movies on Puranas came in Telugu, thanks to N.T.R... Not sure if you know the movie "Sri Krishna Pandavium" This movie should never be missed where NTR appeared in two roles Sri Krishna & Duryodhana and I tell you it was NTR at his very best. Also the role of Bhima was portrayed by a Kannada actor and was very good and the story, songs were just perfect. But I differ with you, many movies were wasted not because of bad casting, but because of change in the story line. Especially a few movies (I dont name them) where NTR directed, you see some tweaks in story, because when you know the story and you see something different, you don't appreciate much... Even then those movies were blockbusters and treat to watch (action and direction wise). But lot of other movies where NTR just acted instead of directing (Sri Krishna Pandavium, Maya Bazaar etc.) they were worth watching in all aspects.... Phani Raghavendra
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. I'll definitely watch "Sri Krishna Pandavium".
ReplyDeleteAlso, not sure if you know Telugu movie "Bhaktha Prahlad" casting Raghunath (As Sri Maha Vishnu), SV Ranga Rao (Hiranya Kashyapa, Roja Ramani (as Prahlad) and produced by "AVM Studioes" of the then Madras. The veteran Carnatic music singer Sri Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishana acted as Narada Muni in this movie. I see two great movies with Bhaktha Prahalad story the other one being a Kannada movie by Kannada Superstar Rajkumar. I didn't watch the Kannada movie completly but I saw some part of the climax. But I was more impressed with the Telugu movie and personally believe it was the greatest Mythological Movie ever made in the Telugu Cinema. Singer SP . Susheela songs were mind blowing with great Lyrics. You will see this movie coming quite often in SVBC(Sri Venkateswara Bhakthi Channel) during Sunday Afternoons. There was a great poet called "Nannaya" whi was popularly called as "Andhrakavith Pithamaha" (menaing,Pioneer in Andhra Poems) during 12 th Century AD. He was well known for translating some part of "Mahabharatha" & full "Sri Bhagavatham" to Telugu language. The Poems from his "Sri Bhagavatham were" taken as it is in this movie. Never miss this movie... Also other top 5 movies you should never miss are 1) Sri Krisha Thulabharam (Story around Sri Krishna, Rukhmini & Satyabhama, you will understand why NTR is considered as greatest when portrayed as Sri Krishna)2) Sita Kalyanam (Ramayanam until Sita & Rama marriage, awesome special effects in this movie) 3)Maya Bazaar 4)Lava Kusha (Utharakanda) 5)Annamayya
ReplyDeleteSubhadra is Abhimanyu's mother... Uttara is his only wife... But in some folk tales especially of Andhra Pradesh, it is said he also married Shashirekha (daughter of Balarama)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mounica. I've updated the post, striking out the incorrect reference to Subhadra.
ReplyDelete