Brahmarshi Vishwamitra

The film begins, King Kaushika (N. T. Rama Rao) while hunting visits Vasishta Maharshi's (Gummadi) ashram where he notices a divine cow called Kamadhenuvu which can produce anything one wishes. Kaushika requests Vasishta to surrender it to him because the country will be prosperous if it is in the hands of a king. But Vasishta refuses when Kaushika tries to grab it forcibly it disappears. Kaushika feels it as an insult and realises penance has more power than the physical strength. So, he renounced his kingdom, becomes a saint performs a huge penance, achieves Brahmarishi title by facing many challenges and from that day he is called as Vishwamitra. After that, King Trishanku (Jaya Bhaskar) belongs to Suryavamsam wishes to reach the heaven with his mortal body and requests his Guru Vasishta to perform the needful rites to achieve the goal. But Vasishta refuses when Trishanku revolts on him and he curses him to form as horrific. Immediately, Trishanku reaches Vishwamitra, he sends him to heaven where Lord Indra (Ashok Kumar) toss him. Vishwamitra stops him in between and creates a newly modernised heaven especially for him. In this process, Vishwamitra uses his entire penance power. Therefore, he starts his prayers and attains his power back. Once in the court of Indra, Vishwamitra had a confrontation with Vashista that a man with an aim & determination is more powerful than the deities. Vishwamitra challenges that he will prove it and selects Harishchandra (Nandamuri Balakrishna), ruler of Ayodhya.

There onwards, he starts testing Harishchandra, in the beginning, he asks a huge amount, without any hesitation, Harishchandra agrees. Then he creates two beautiful girls called Matanga Kanyalu (Disco Shanti & Kuali), tries to lure him and also threatens either to marry the girls or leave the kingdom. So, he gives away his kingdom when Vishwamitra asks to repay his amount. Harishchandra asks him some time, he gives a month and accompanies his assistant Nakshatraka (Suthi Velu). Thereafter, Harishchandra reaches Kaasi where he observes that people are sold in the market. Due to the shortage of time, on his wife Chandramathi's (Deepika Chikhalia) advice, he sells her along with his son Lohitha (Master Amith). Next Nakshatraka asks to pay his travel expenses for which he sells himself to Veerabahu (Amjad Khan), king of the graveyard. Now Harishchandra works as a watchman to the burial ground. One day, unfortunately, Lohitha dies due to snake bite while Chandramathi is performing his funeral, Harishchandra stops her and asks her to pay the fee without knowing her identity. But she doesn't have anything when he indicates her golden wedding chain and she recognises him as her husband because her wedding chain is invisible to others. In such pathetic situations also Harishchandra does not yield. Chandramathi rushes to get the money. At the same time, Vishwamitra creates an illusion that Chadramathi has kidnapped and killed Kaasiraju's son. The King gives the death sentence and sends her to Harishchandra to execute it. Even then he does not leave his true path and executes the punishment. Suddenly, Vishwamitra appears, says that all this was happened to spread the will-power of a man to the universe and acknowledges him with his penance power.

Eras roll by, once Viswamitra intents to perform a Yaga for which two demons Marichasubhahulu are creating obstructions. So, he moves to Ayodhya asks Dasaratha to send Rama Lakshmana for the protection of his Yaga. At that point in time, Vishwamitra endorses the powerful weapons to Rama Lakshmana by which they destroy Tataki & Marichasubhahulu and successfully completes the Yaga. Parallelly, Janaka announces Swayamvara to Seeta, Vishwamitra reaches Mithila with Rama Lakshmana. The main challenging task of Swayamvara is to ace the world-renowned bow of Siva. Ravana (again N. T. Rama Rao) also arrives without an invitation but fails. Rama with the blessing of Vishwamitra, lifts the bow, break it and marries Seeta. Vishwamitra blesses the newly wedded couple and leaves to continue his penance. After many thousands of years, Indra attempts to foil his prayers, so, he sends an Apsara Menaka (Meenakshi Seshadri). Both of them get married and blessed with a baby girl. But couple leaves a newborn baby in the forest, Kanva Maharshi raises her by the name Shakuntala (Madhumita). Once King Dushyanta (again Nandamuri Balakrishna) visits their Ashram, he loves and marries Shakuntala secretly. Before returning he gives his personal royal ring to her as a token of love. One day, Saint Durvasa visits Ashram but Shakuntala lost her thoughts on her husband and failed to greet him when he curses her that the person she is dreaming will forget her. Afterward, Durvasa modifies his curse saying that the person will recollect his memory when he sees the personal token. Time passes, Shakuntala becomes pregnant and she is sent to her husband's house. On the way, the ring slips off her finger and it is swallowed by a fish. Arriving at Hastinapuram, Dushyanta not able recognise her, humiliated, Shakuntala returns to the forest and takes shelter at Kashyapa Mahamuni's Ashram, where she gives birth to a baby boy Bharata (Master N. T. Rama Rao Jr). Meanwhile, fishermen find the ring in the belly of a fish and take it to Dushyanta, when he recollects the past. Immediately, he set out to find Shakuntala, in the forest, he is surprised to see a young boy playing with wild animals and amazed by his boldness & strength. Bharata takes him to his mother Shakuntala. Here Vishwamitra appears, reunites the couple, blesses Bharata to be the greatest ruler of India and also entrusts him his entire penance power. At last, Vishwamitra penance power reaches to heights of Himalayas where he utilises it to the welfare of the universe by preaching great Gayatri Mantra. Finally, the movie ends Vishwamitra becoming one among the stars of the universe at Saptarishi Mandalam

Brahmarshi Vishwamitra marks the first screen appearance of N. T. Rama Rao Jr., who played Bharata.[3][4]

Music composed by Ravindra Jain. Lyrics written by C. Narayana Reddy. Music released on Lahari Music Company.

• Brahmarshi Vishwamitra at IMDb