Maya Bazaar (color) 2010 Reviewed by Gopal Amirisetti
The original black and white version released in 1957 and I believe very few people in this generation must have seen that in theaters.
'God must have kept me alive just to watch this magic before I die', just few days before he passed away these were the words uttered by renowned character artiste Gummadi who acted as Balarama in this spectacular film Maya Bazaar. True to his words, this film truly is a land mark in the history of Telugu cinema. I have seen just bits and pieces of the original on television. I just thought I'll give it a try when I have seen the promos of the color version. But believe me irrespective of how old you are, this film is gonna entertain you to the fullest.
The movie is an adaptation of a small episode from the epic Mahabharata termed as Sasirekha Parinayam which showcases the marriage of Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, the third of the five Pandava brothers, played by Akkineni Nageswara rao, with Sasirekha the daughter of Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Sri Krishna, portrayed by mahanati Savithri at her best. This movie brings together a bunch of phenomenal artistes' and technicians at the beginning of their careers. Svr, Ntr, Anr, Savitri, Relangi, Ramana reddy, Allu, Nagabhushanam, Suryakantham, Gummadi and many others were among them.
A very special mention must be given to the Cinematographer Marcus Bartley who did wonders with his camera to such an extent that even the present generation would wonder how he would have created such a magic. He has excelled in scenes like the confrontation between Abhimanyu and Gatodhgacha, Sharma and Shastri episode during marriage, Gatodhgach eating the food prepared for the marriage etc. to name a few. The movie extends up to nearly 3 hours with six excellent melodious songs. You never would feel it was that long. The Lahiri lahiri lahiri lo song with three pair changes is fun to watch. Relangi as Lakshmana kumara was brilliant and evokes laughter every time he is seen on screen. For me the show stealer was Savithri in the post interval scenes where she had to act like Gatodhgacha( where Gatodhgacha enters the palace in the disguise of Sasirekha). She was excellent and unarguably at her best. I thought the best song also belongs to her in the form of Aha na pelli anta. This movie is a must watch for everybody. Don't miss it.
The original black and white version released in 1957 and I believe very few people in this generation must have seen that in theaters.
'God must have kept me alive just to watch this magic before I die', just few days before he passed away these were the words uttered by renowned character artiste Gummadi who acted as Balarama in this spectacular film Maya Bazaar. True to his words, this film truly is a land mark in the history of Telugu cinema. I have seen just bits and pieces of the original on television. I just thought I'll give it a try when I have seen the promos of the color version. But believe me irrespective of how old you are, this film is gonna entertain you to the fullest.
The movie is an adaptation of a small episode from the epic Mahabharata termed as Sasirekha Parinayam which showcases the marriage of Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, the third of the five Pandava brothers, played by Akkineni Nageswara rao, with Sasirekha the daughter of Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Sri Krishna, portrayed by mahanati Savithri at her best. This movie brings together a bunch of phenomenal artistes' and technicians at the beginning of their careers. Svr, Ntr, Anr, Savitri, Relangi, Ramana reddy, Allu, Nagabhushanam, Suryakantham, Gummadi and many others were among them.
A very special mention must be given to the Cinematographer Marcus Bartley who did wonders with his camera to such an extent that even the present generation would wonder how he would have created such a magic. He has excelled in scenes like the confrontation between Abhimanyu and Gatodhgacha, Sharma and Shastri episode during marriage, Gatodhgach eating the food prepared for the marriage etc. to name a few. The movie extends up to nearly 3 hours with six excellent melodious songs. You never would feel it was that long. The Lahiri lahiri lahiri lo song with three pair changes is fun to watch. Relangi as Lakshmana kumara was brilliant and evokes laughter every time he is seen on screen. For me the show stealer was Savithri in the post interval scenes where she had to act like Gatodhgacha( where Gatodhgacha enters the palace in the disguise of Sasirekha). She was excellent and unarguably at her best. I thought the best song also belongs to her in the form of Aha na pelli anta. This movie is a must watch for everybody. Don't miss it.