''Bhakta Markandeya'' () is an Indian film shot simultaneously in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

and

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

languages and directed by B. S. Ranga with a different supporting cast in each of the versions. Master Anand played the title role of

Markandeya Markandeya () is a rishi (sage) featured in Hindu literature. He is the son of the sage Mrikanda and his wife, Manasvini. The Markandeya Purana (one of the eighteen Mahāpurāṇas in Hinduism), attributed to the sage, comprises a dialogue ...

in both the versions. The film was released in 1957.

Plot

The theme of the story is the nullification of the powers of

Yama Yama (), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of ''Dharm ...

(the God of Death) by Lord

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

. Lord Shiva blesses sage Mrukanda Maharshi and his wife with a child. Their child,

, was given a lease of 16 years to live in this world. But the child worships Lord Shiva with unlimited Bhakthi (devotion). When he completes 16 years of age, Yama comes to take his life as appointed. Markandeya grips the

Shivalinga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

and Lord Shiva appears before Yama and tells him not to take Markandeya's life, because he (Lord Shiva) has blessed the boy. So, Markandeya becomes an immortal. The moral of the story is that one who surrenders to God need not worry about death.

Cast

Tamil

* Master Anand as Markandeya *

V. Nagayya Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya Sarma (28 March 1904 – 30 December 1973), popularly known as Chittoor Nagayya, was an Indian actor, singer, music composer, and director known for his works in Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, and Telugu theatre. Nagayya wa ...

Pushpavalli Kandala Venkata Pushpavalli Tayaramma (3 January 1926 – 28 April 1991), known mononymously as Pushpavalli, was an Indian actress who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil films. She entered the film industry as a child actress with a sma ...

* K. A. Thangavelu * Babuji *

Padmini Priyadarshini Padmini Priyadarshini (later Padmini Ramachandran) was an Indian actor, dancer and choreographer. She acted in supporting roles during the 1950s and 1960s in Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. She established a dancing school in Bangalore named ''Na ...

* Sairam * Balasaraswathi * Surya Kala * Lakshmikantham * R. Nagendra Rao * Sundaram

Kannada

* Master Anand * R Nagendra Rao * T R Narasimha Raju *

Dikki Madhava Rao Dikki Madhava Rao (born Murali Madhava Rao; 15 January 1919 – 14 July 1985) was an Indian actor and singer known for his work as a character actor in Kannada-language films. He spent much of his early years as a stage actor in the 1920s and 193 ...

* Comedian Guggu * H R Hanumantha Rao * K Pushpavalli * B Ramadevi * Raghuramaiah * Surya kala *

Soundtrack

Tamil songs Music was composed by the duo

Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy were an Indian music composing duo composed of M. S. Viswanathan and T. K. Ramamoorthy. They worked together on over 100 films, from 1952's '' Panam'' to 1965's '' Aayirathil Oruvan''. After their split, Ramamoorthy w ...

, while the lyrics were penned by A. Maruthakasi. Kannada songs The music was composed by

References

External links

* *{{Rotten Tomatoes 1950s biographical films 1950s Indian films 1950s Kannada-language films 1957 multilingual films 1950s Tamil-language films 1957 films Films scored by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy Hindu devotional films Hindu mythological films Indian biographical films Indian multilingual films Tamil-language Indian films Indian black-and-white films