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Gulebakavali Katha
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Wikipedia article
'Gulebakavali Katha' is a 1962 Indian Telugu-language fantasy swashbuckler film produced by N. Trivikrama Rao and directed by N. T. Rama Rao. It is based on the folk tale 'Gulebakavali' from the Arabian folk tale collection 'One Thousand and One Nights'. Rama Rao also stars alongside Jamuna and Nagarathna. The film focuses on a man's quest to search for the 'Gulebakavali' flower, which he needs to cure the king's blindness. It was released on 5 January 1962, and became a commercial success.
Plot
King Chandrasena has two wives, Gunavathi and Rupavathi. Rupavathi has three sons. Rupavathi's brother Vakraketu has an eye on the king's throne. When Gunavathi gets pregnant with the blessings of the goddess Parvathi, Vakraketu and Rupavathi bribe the astrologer by saying that the King loses his eyesight if he sees the child and tries to murder the infant, but he is rescued and brought up by a shepherd couple and named Vijay. Once, King Chandrasena goes hunting in the forest, sees Vijay, and loses his eyesight, but the actual reason had plotted against the king and made him blind. Doctors advise the king to get the ' Gulebakavali' flower which blossoms on the full moon day in the Yakshaloka.
Vijay sets on an adventurous journey to get the 'Gulebakavali' flower which has healing powers and can, therefore, cure blindness. He meets a trickster dice player Yuktimati, whom he defeats and marries and saves his three elder brothers, sons of Rupavati. He then reaches Devaloka, woos princess Bakavali, and gets the flower, but his brothers steal it from him. He returns to Devaloka only to find the pond dry. Vijay then offers his eyes. The pond blooms with the divine flower, and an impressed Mahendra plucks it, restores Vijay's vision, and gives him his daughter's hand. Vijay returns to his kingdom with his two wives, annihilates Vakrakethu and the army chief Dushtabudhi, cures his father's blindness with the divine flower saved for him by Atitelivi from his brothers, and ascends the throne.
Cast
Credits adapted from 'The Hindu':
* N. T. Rama Rao as Vijay
* Jamuna as Yuktimati
* Nagarathna as Bakavali
* Peketi Sivaram as one of Rupavathi's sons
* Mukkamala as Chandrasena
* Rajanala Kaleswara Rao as Vakraketu
* Lanka Satyam as the goatherd
* Mikkilineni as Mahendra
* K. V. S. Sharma as Dushtabudhi
* Padmanabham as one of Rupavathi's sons
* Balakrishna as Ati Telivi
* Rushyendramani as Gunavathi
* Hemalatha as the goatherd's wife
* Surabhi Balasarswathi as Adikaasa
* Chhaya Devi as Rupavathi
Production
'Gulebakavali Katha' is the second Telugu film to be based on the folk tale 'Gulebakavali' from the Arabian folk tale collection 'One Thousand and One Nights', following a 1938 film titled 'Gulebakavali'. It was produced by N. Trivikrama Rao under National Art Theaters, and directed by N. T. Rama Rao. This was Rama Rao's second directorial venture after 'Sita Rama Kalyanam' (1961); however, as with that film, he did not bill himself as director in the opening credits. The writer of the original story was not credited; instead, Trivikrama Rao was credited under "'kathasekarana'" (collecting the story). In addition to directing, Rama Rao starred as the male lead Vijay. He cast two female leads: Jamuna as the trickster dice player Yuktimati; and actress G. Varalakshmi's niece Nagarathna as princess Bakavali, this being her acting debut. Nagarathna had only two dialogues, one of which was "Nanna". Ravikant Nagaich was hired as cinematographer, K. Narasimha Rao for art direction, and S. P. S. Veerappa and G. Siva Murthy for editing.
Soundtrack
Music composers Joseph and Vijaya Krishna Murthy made their debut with this film, as did lyricist C. Narayana Reddy. The film's most popular songs were "Nannu Dhochukonduvate", "Kalala Alalapai", "Unnadi Chebuta" and "Madana Sundara Naa Doraa".
Release and reception
'Gulebakavali Katha' was released on 5 January 1962. The film was commercially successful, and contributed to Rama Rao's streak of successful films.
References
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