When I was a kid, we had a Videocon VHS at home. Grandpa would bring videocassettes from the nearby library, and played them on it. I asked him innocent questions like, “Tatha, don’t you get bored? These films go so slow…and some of them are not even in colour!” He would smile at me and say, “They remind me of the times when I was younger,” and give me orange candy, to make up for the cartoon time I’d sacrificed. I never understood his point. People seemed so boring in Black-and-White. I was happy with my candy anyway.
Time passed. The world went digital. Videocassettes gave way to DVDs and Blu-ray discs. But the memories lived on, and so did the films my tatha loved so much.And I began to love them too. This list is by no means definitive; it does not include many other great films. It’s just a simple list of good old masterpieces of cinema that are close to my heart.
Pathala Bhairavi (1950)
Two reasons why I love this film:
1. SV Ranga Rao.
2. SV Ranga Rao.
NTR was the hero, yes…but SVR was THE MAN. His portrayal of the vile, bearded Nepala Mantrikudu captured my imagination so much that he instantly became one of the greatest actors in my view, deserving every acting award on earth. I do not think any of the current crop of actors can make a villain’s character seem so hypnotic.
The film is a folk tale about an adventurous young man, Thota Ramudu (NTR), who is madly in love with a princess, Indumati (Malathi), and falls into the trap of the sinister sorcerer (SVR. Who else?). It’s said to have been partly inspired by Arabian Nights, and we can see the influences in the sets and in the Oriental strains in the music. Even with these Middle Eastern elements, it still retains the native folk essence, setting the path for many more fantasy films to come.
The punch line? “Saahasam cheyara dimbaka, raakumari dakkunu” delivered by SV Ranga R.
Mayabazar (1957)
Now what do I say about this work of art? Every once in a (long) while, the human mind takes such giant creative leaps and pushes our imagination beyond all limits, that all we can do is to just stare in awe.
Mayabazar is almost the dictionary definition of awesomeness. It takes the Mahabharata episode of Sasirekha Parinayam, and turns it on its head. It plays with everything from language (Friends-Asmadeeyulu;Enemies-Tasmadeeyulu!) and funny ideas (Ghatothkacha donning the form of Sasirekha and doing a jig to ‘Aha Na Pellanta!’), to metaphorical imagery and philosophical concepts, and surrounds us with an aura of magic and joy. Relangi, one of my all-time favorite comedians, does his career’s best role as the stupid prince Lakshmana Kumara, and evokes a lot of laughs with his love-crazed antics and perfect comic timing. The sheer grandeur of the sets, the elaborate jewellery, the sharp wit, the splendid cinematography (for that time), the excellent performances by the cast, all ensure that you are spell-bound. Completely.
One of SVR’s most memorable lines in the film-“Evaru puttinchakapothe maatalela pudthayi?”. Sir, I salute you.
Missamma (1955)
This classic is a movie adaptation of Yotish Banerjee’s Bengali comedy Manmoyee Girls School. In the title role, Savitri gave the defining performance of her career. She was all of 18 years old. NTR, ANR, SVR, Jamuna, Relangi and Ramana Reddy did more than enough justice to their roles, and were instrumental in making this landmark comedy come to life.
A special mention here should go to Pingali Nagendra Rao, the writer and lyricist, who infused the film with witty lines and beautiful poetry. Incidentally, the two other above mentioned films are also his works. He did a wonderful job in writing in an undercurrent of universal oneness.
Missamma has great situational music. Who can forget the instantly hummable ‘Aaduvari Maatalaku Ardhale Verule’? I identify a lot with the song. Every man should have felt that way at least once in his life. Clearly, the problem of men not being able to understand women is not new. Not at all.
The writer is a B.Tech student in his sophomore year, and hails from Hyderabad. He is passionate about heavy metal music and writing, and has varied interests like films, football, and stand-up comedy. He likes feeding dogs and feeding himself in his spare time. You can read his blog(very infrequently updated) at abhi247.blogspot.com and also check out this student webzine he works for, Studentlive-studentlive.in (where this story was cross posted).