Malliswari (1951) watch online

Malliswari is a 1951 Indian Telugu-language historical romance film produced and directed by B. N. Reddi under his banner Vauhini Studios. P. Bhanumathi and N. T. Rama Rao star as a couple – Nagaraju and Malliswari – who are separated by Malliswari's greedy mother. Malliswari is sent to the king's palace according to the custom of "Rani Vasam", a tradition during the Vijayanagara Empire wherein young women were fetched to the palace with an offering of gold and jewellery to their parents. The rest of the film focuses on the consequences faced by Nagaraju when he, against all rules, surreptitiously enters the palace to meet Malliswari.

B. N. Reddi had envisioned a film about Sri Krishnadevaraya since his visit to Hampi during the production of his debut film, Vande Mataram (1939). He enlisted Devulapalli Krishnasastri to write the script, drawing inspiration from Butchi Babu's play Rayalavari Karunakruthyamu and Devan Sharar's short story The Emperor and the Slave Girl. B. N. Reddi also incorporated elements from his own childhood to enhance the narrative's authenticity, particularly in the playful interactions between Nagaraju and Malliswari. To ensure historical accuracy, B. N. Reddi consulted Mallampalli Somasekhara Sarma, a noted historian and epigraphist. Art director A. K. Shekar devoted nearly two years to designing the sets, meticulously preparing sketches to reflect the period’s aesthetics. The film's music was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao, with cinematography by Adi M. Irani and B. N. Konda Reddy.

The production phase of Malliswari lasted for two years and the film was released on 20 December 1951. It grossed over ₹8 lakh (₹0.8 million) but underperformed in its initial box-office run. However, it was successful in its re-release. Malliswari was featured at the Peking Film Festival in Beijing, China on 14, March 1953. B. N. Reddi planned to dub the film into English, but backed out due to budget considerations.

Malliswari achieved cult status in Telugu cinema and is considered one of the best works of B. N. Reddi as a filmmaker. It became the first film script to be serialised in the magazine Vijayachitra, and a few universities in the United States wished to have the film's script as a part of their textual studies. On the centenary of Indian cinema in April 2013, CNN-IBN included Malliswari in its list, "The 100 greatest Indian films of all time".

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