How the Telugu classic, Mayabazar, set a trend

The film revolutionised the mythological genre by humanising the gods

Of all Indian regional cinemas nowhere has the ‘mythological film’ survived the longest as in the cinemas of south India, and especially Telugu cinema, where it was a dominant genre right up to the 1970s. K.V. Reddy’s path-breaking 1957 bilingual, Mayabazar, starring some of the now legendary actors N.T. Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageshwar Rao, S.V. Ranga Rao and Savitri was a welcome change to ‘the mythological template’ in how it humanised the gods for the first time. Its success has since been abundantly repeated. S.S. Rajamouli, one of Telegu cinema’s most popular and influential 21st century filmmakers, calls Mayabazar “the greatest classic and absolute influence of all times, not only on me and my generation of filmmakers, but the entire Telugu film industry.”

Why? After all it’s just another love story from the Mahabharata with a magical premise that has its heroine replaced by a male illusionist demon. Firstly, the film shows how a taut script can work wonders. For a story revolving around the Pandavas and Kauravas with their famed game of dice as its drama trigger, it is impressive how it manages to progress without the presence of the Pandavas. Hence, someone uninitiated into the humongous web of relations in the Mahabharata too can enjoy the film as a standalone, adventurous love story. Secondly, none of its epic characters come with the usual halo that defines their on-screen presence. Even Krishna goes about his machinations discreetly. Their frailties, body language and normal speech of the gods make them relatable and straight-out-of-life, albeit in costume. Thirdly, by choosing a story with tremendous magical moments/ illusion, the film makes best use of the technical advantage of the cinematic medium.