Mahakavi Kshetrayya

The film is based on the story of Mahakavi Kshetrayya, an advent devotee of Lord Krishna in the 17th century in the village of Muvva in present-day Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. The film begins, two bells from Lord Siva anklets plunge on earth in which first one forms as a village Muvva and the second takes an avatar as a person Varadhayya (Akkineni Nageswara Rao). Though Varadhayya is born in a respectable scholars family he is uneducated and till his teenage moves as a meander by intoning melody. Varadha loves his maternal uncle Sivaiah's daughter Rukmini (Prabha) On the other side, Bhama (Manjula) a Devadasi allures to Varadha's tunes and showers her love towards him. Bhama's brother Pichaiah (Raja Babu) is also a close friend to Varadha. Due to circumstances, Varadha is not able to marry either Rukmini or Bhama then he abuses the Lord. Here a saint Siddhendra Yogi (P. J. Sarma) explains that his life is dedicated for the Lord and preaches him a Mantra which he recites. At that juncture, Lord Krishna (Baby Rohini) appears gives him enlightenment & entrusts to scripture his divinity as vocals & lyrics which he does so. Now Varadha's songs become chart-topping when religious authorities affirm nastiness in it and ostracize Varadha. Howbeit, on the advice of Siddhendra Yogi, Varadha starts his journey to learn the life secret when he eminent as Kshetrayya. Eventually, Tanisha of Golconda (Prabhakar Reddy) listens to his tunes and honors him as his court poet which he refuses courteously. So, angered Tanisha arrests him when Bhama & Pichaiah who are in search of Varadha releases him. Later, Kshetrayya tours Kanchipuram, Chidambaram, Srirangam, etc. and lands at Thanjavur.

There, King Vijaya Raghava Nayaka (Kanta Rao) felicitates Kshetrayya with great honor who defeats all the poets in the province and proclaims Rangajamma (Anjali Devi) second wife Vijaya Raghava, a great poet as his analogous. During that time, Thanjavur has a rivalry with Madhurai when Kshetrayya tries to resolve their conflicts but fails and ensues as the destruction of Thanjavur. In that plight, Rangajamma requests Kshetrayya to safeguard their heritage and handovers the Prince Changamala Dasu. Right Now, Kshetrayya reaches Golkonda, solicits Tanisha to establish Changamala Dasu as the empire of Thanjavur as a return he is ready to stay permanently in his court. At present, both of them keep up their word, the advent of Kshetrayya irks another poet Tulasi Murthy (Rao Gopal Rao). So, to know the eminence between two fires Tulasi Murthy challenges to write a 1000 verses in 40 days. Kshetrayya accepts it, almost in an edge to win when Tulasi Murthy uses court dancer Taaramathi (Jayasudha) who ploys by seducing him through a syrup. Just in time, Bhama enters and rescues him, spotting both of them, Siddhendra Yogi misunderstands & curses Bhama that female cannot participate in Kuchipudi. After coming into conscious Kshetrayya dies out to contrition as he committed a great sin and not eligible to complete the verses. At that moment, seeks him to endorse his duty when his aura is freed from the body which successfully finishes the verses. Being aware of it, Tulasi Murthy tries to steal the verses when he loses his eyesight as divine retribution and bows his head down. At last, Lord directs Kshetrayya to reach his native place Muvva as it is the time of his salvation. Finally, the movie ends Kshetrayya transforming into bell which conjoins with Lord Siva anklets at Kailasam.

• Art: A. K. Sekhar, Vaali
• Choreography: Vempati Satyam, Heeralal
• Stills: Satyam
• Lyrics: Arudra, C. Narayana Reddy, Dasaradhi, Kshetragna
• Playback: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, V. Ramakrishna, Anand, Pithapuram
• Operative Cameraman: S. Gopal Reddy
• Writer: Arudra
• Editing: Kotagiri Gopala Rao
• Cinematography: V. S. R. Swamy
• Music - Producer: P. Adinarayana Rao
• Presenter: Anjali Devi
• Directors: C. S. Rao and Adurthi Subba Rao
• Banner: Anjali Pictures
• Release Date: 1976

Music composed by P. Adinarayana Rao. Music released on EMI Columbia Audio Company.

• The film won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film.

• Mahakavi Kshetrayya at IMDb